A worker had a lucky escape when a leopard wandered from a nearby forest, entered a shop and pounced on him.
Shocking CCTV footage shows the big cat suddenly appearing and launching itself at the young man just seconds after a co-worker’s shouts raised the alarm.
The worker could be seen grappling with the powerful feline before managing to shake it off and make a frantic escape by scrambling over a table.
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The leopard then remained inside the liquor store, knocking over bottles as it prowled around the shop.
The dramatic close call happened in Todaraisingh in India’s Rajasthan state, yesterday morning (20 July).
The leopard reportedly strayed from a forest and injured three people before being tranquilised and removed from the scene following an almost five-hour operation.
According to reports, the feline – believed to be an adult male aged between four and five – first attacked a forest volunteer before entering a busy market and eventually the liquor shop.
The volunteer, Rakesh Mali, was injured after going to inspect the area when locals spotted the leopard hiding in bushes and alerted him.
He suffered leg injuries when the big cat pounced, as reported by Need To Know.
The second person injured was 40-year-old worker Fateh Lal Koli, who was sitting outside the liquor store.
The man seen in the CCTV footage, 25-year-old Sanjay Gurjar, escaped with injuries to his nose, shoulder and hands.
Koli and Gurjar then pulled down the shop’s shutter from outside, trapping the leopard inside the premises.
Mali received first aid at the scene, while the two shop workers were taken to a medical centre for treatment.
The forests around Todaraisingh are home to a significant leopard population.
Authorities are reportedly investigating how the wild animal ended up straying into the urban area.
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