The footage captured by Parveen Kaswan, an official at the Indian Forestry Department, shows a leopard jumping over a locked gate and attacking a pooch before fleeing.
The leopard easily captured the pooch. (Video: Parveen Kaswan)
The video was recorded from a security camera in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, central India, in early December. At the beginning of the video, the dog is seen near the gate of a house. Suddenly, as if sensing danger, the dog runs at full speed. Moments later, the leopard jumps over the gate, enters the house, and targets the dog. The carnivore takes just a few seconds to escape with its prey in its mouth.
The carnivore takes just a few seconds to escape with its prey in its mouth.
According to Kaswan, leopards often hunt dogs in hilly areas. To prevent such attacks, homeowners should keep their pets on a leash.
Local residents frequently encounter leopards on farms, prompting local authorities to install a series of camera traps. Officials have not found any animal footprints, but forestry officials are surveying the area. They have also contacted the Wildlife SOS organization, which is often involved in animal rescue in the region. The rescue team has set traps in the area to capture the leopard.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the four big cat species in the Panthera genus found in Africa and Asia. They measure between 1 to nearly 2 meters in length and weigh between 30 to 90 kg. Females are typically about two-thirds the size of males. Although smaller than other big cat species, leopards are formidable predators. With their camouflage abilities and stealthy habits, they can approach human settlements unnoticed. However, habitat destruction and poaching are pushing some leopard subspecies to the brink of extinction.
