According to Indian newspaper The Statesmen, the violent misunderstanding unfolded on Wednesday after a group of concerned locals spotted the hurt cat lying along the bank of the Saryu river near the Chaura village. It was eventually determined by officials from the local forest department that the leopard was suffering from paralysis, leaving it unable to move the lower half of its body.
With department officials launching a rescue operation, 50-year-old Jagdish Singh jumped in on the action to offer his assistance. However, things quickly went sideways just as Singh attempted to tie a rope around the leopard's paws.
Warning: Footage may be disturbing for viewers.
Footage of the incident shows the leopard snap at Singh as he's tightening the ropes, biting his hand and later clawing his leg as others quickly try to deescalate the situation. Some locals are seen hitting the leopard multiple times with a large stick before being able to pull Singh away from danger.
The video eventually cuts off as the bloodied Singh gets ahold of himself and walks away from the encounter. He was later admitted to a local area hospital.
Following the incident, a statement was released by forestry officials on the matter. "One villager became excited and was assisting the forest staff. The leopard charged and villager suffered injuries on leg and hand. He was admitted at district hospital and his condition is stable," RK Singh, an officer with the department, said.
As for the leopard, officials ended up using a tranquilizer to subdue it, the outlet reported.The animal was transferred to a nearby clinic to be examined by veterinary officials.
