New Delhi: A shocking video of villagers harassing and manhandling a leopard in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district has gone viral on social media.
In the video, the leopard can be seen surrounded by several people, and one of them was seen sitting on the leopard’s back. The villagers were seen playing with the animal and taking videos and selfies.
In the viral video, the leopard appeared to be sick and seemed to have difficulty while walking.
Some villagers spotted the leopard roaming outside the forest area in Iklera. At first, the villagers got scared, but soon surrounded him when they noticed that the animal was lethargic and not aggressive, reported news agency IANS.
As per the agency, a team of forest guards reached the spot after receiving information and rescued the leopard to a safe place.
According to a forest guard, the leopard was wandering in the forest in a dizzy condition.
Forest official Santosh Shukla said that the team has taken the two-year-old leopard to Van Vihar in Bhopal for treatment. A veterinary doctor also conducted a medical examination of the animal, he added, according to IANS.
“The condition of the leopard was critical. Despite this, people were troubling him. The veterinary doctor was called from Mhow in Indore," Shukla said.
The official told the Times of India that the leopard was shifted to the Indore Zoo on Wednesday morning for further treatment. The big cat was kept under observation for 24 hours and medical tests are being done to determine what it's ailing from.