A leopard has attacked a sleeping dog while his owner relaxed nearby.
Jayanand Kale was scrolling on his phone with his beloved pooch snoozing next to him when the big cat suddenly appeared in his back garden.
CCTV showed the moment the predator spotted the dog and slowly started to creep up on him.
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The leopard then sniffed the pup and before taking its chance.
Snatching him with its teeth, the leopard dragged the dog across the garden.
A startled Jayanand jumped out of his camp bed and began to shout.
The cat then let the pet loose before running away, as reported by Need To Know.
According to Jayanand, the dog’s cries alerted the entire household and neighbouring residents.
But by the time more people arrived to help, the leopard had vanished.
The alarming incident took place in Degaon village, Bhor taluka, India on Sunday (9 March).
Leopards are known to be opportunist predators, frequently killing small livestock and feral animals like sheep, lamb, feral pigs and street dogs.
The Indian leopard is a solitary, elusive and nocturnal cat.
These behaviors make it an apex predator in its habitat.
It is estimated that 12,000 to 14,000 leopards are found in India.
But the species has been severely affected by poachers who kill them for their skin and body parts, which are used in the illegal medicine trade.
With leopard attacks on the rise in the area, local residents have called on the Forest Department to take immediate action.
They are urging authorities to set traps and implement other measures to control the leopards and prevent further attacks.
Experts attribute the surge in leopard encounters to the escalating encroachment of human settlements on wildlife habitats.
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