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.
As the search intensified, the leopard suddenly leapt out of a bush – a few metres from where the officers had just passed by. “Everyone screamed and jumped away. At the same time, we threw the nets on it twice, but the leopard slipped free each time,” the officer added. What sent shivers down everyone’s spine was when the animal headed straight towards the women and children. That is when Yoganand got into action. He lunged at the leopard and yanked it by its tail.
Yoganand said: “I realized the women and children were in danger. The leopard could attack the crowd and someone would get injured. In retaliation, villagers could target the leopard. Also, I saw the leopard was moving slowly, as if it had some health issues. Trusting God, I caught the leopard by its tail and pulled back with all my strength. The leopard turned around, but officers swiftly threw a net upon it in and captured it.” The leopard has been shifted to a rescue centre in Mysuru.
