After a rescue operation that lasted for over seven hours, forest department officials of Mukundpur Tiger Safari in Satna district captured a leopard that had strayed into a house on Thursday morning.
Before getting rescued the feline had hard time as after entering the Satna town, the stray dogs chased it forcing it to take shelter in a home.
The leopard had strayed into the Harijan Bbasti in Ward Number 4 of Satna town at around 8 am and approached dogs lazing near a shop in the crowded residential locality. There were some people around, but no one spotted the creature with spots, till three canines barked their heads off and started chasing it. Panicked leopard entered into the house of Rajesh Chowdhury and went underneath a bed where his children were sleeping.
The forest rescue team that reached the spot at about 10 am after tranquilizing the feline with the tranquilizer gun caught hold of it and took it away. The entire drama took seven hours before the feline was caught by the rescue team.
Eyewitnesses say that leopard was so terrorized by the dogs that it remained inactive under the bed allowing Chowdhury to shift his children and other family members to safety. Chowdhury then bolted the main door of his house from outside and raised alarm.
Meanwhile the dogs continued barking outside the door till a team of forest officials from the nearest Mukundpur Tiger Safari came and rescued the leopard.
Hundreds of local residents had gathered at the spot to see the leopard cornered by dogs. “The leopard strayed into the town from an unknown location; maybe it has used some old tiger corridor. Thanks to the stray dogs that it could be moved out safely," said Rajesh Singh, a local resident.