BENGALURU: In a jaw-dropping episode straight out of a wildlife thriller, a quick-thinking and brave farmer stopped a leopard in its tracks - literally by its tail.
The incident occurred on Monday during a leopard rescue operation by the forest department at Chikkakottigehalli, 160km from Bengaluru, in Tumakuru district of Karnataka. The hero of the day is 43-year-old Yoganand. The act of him catching the wild cat by its tail left social media platforms buzzing.
The drama unfolded when villagers spotted a leopard near the agricultural fields. The spotted cat had by then devoured some livestock from surrounding villages.
The forest department was notified. Within minutes, a 15-member team came to the village with a cage, looking for fresh pugmarks near the paddy fields. A few locals, including Yoganand, joined the search, while some curious women and children stood at a distance. "While the pugmarks could be seen all over the fields, we could not spot the animal. After placing the cage, we started fanning out in teams by holding nets," a forest officer said.