In April 2014, wildlife activist and rescue worker Bandu Dhotre was called to Ballarpur, Maharashtra, after a wild leopard wandered into a home. He had handled plenty of dangerous animals before, but this particular rescue quickly became one of the most frightening experiences of his career.
The leopard was believed to have entered the house while searching for livestock. To protect people in the area, Dhotre and the forest department covered the entire building with a large net before he began removing tiles from the roof. His plan was to tranquilize the animal and safely remove it from the house.
The leopard, however, had another plan.
As Dhotre worked from above, the frightened animal suddenly burst through the roof. Instead of trying to escape away from the building, it launched itself directly upward, reaching an estimated 14 feet (4 meters) from the ground.
Leopards are already impressive jumpers. They can typically leap around 10 feet (3 meters) vertically and approximately 20 feet (6 meters) horizontally. This particular animal appeared to be using every bit of its athletic ability to escape the people surrounding it.
The leopard reportedly headed straight toward Dhotre, forcing him to run for safety. The rescue worker managed to avoid a much more serious attack, although the encounter left him shaken.
The struggle continued for roughly four hours. With assistance from the forest department, Dhotre eventually managed to capture the leopard with a net and tranquilize it. Authorities believed the animal had likely wandered from the nearby Tadoba-Andhari National Park.
Dhotre suffered only minor injuries, and the leopard was later released back into the wild.
Leopards finding their way onto rooftops is not as unusual as it might sound. In April 2017, another rescue in Maharashtra produced an equally dramatic escape.
Forest ranger Bijay Khunita was called to a village after a leopard entered a family’s cow shed. The animal appeared to have been searching for food, but the situation became dangerous when a 16-year-old boy approached the shed and was attacked.
Fortunately, the teenager suffered only minor cuts to his back and hands. Officials then began an effort to capture the leopard before anyone else was injured.
During the rescue, the leopard climbed onto a roof where Khunita was already positioned. With nowhere safe to go, both the ranger and the animal suddenly found themselves in a terrifying situation.
Khunita jumped from the roof to escape, while the leopard fled in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the fall was not high enough to cause broken bones, although the ranger suffered injuries to his eye and the palm of his hand.
Authorities spent another 12 hours searching for the leopard. During the hunt, the animal reportedly attacked several animals in the village before officials finally captured it.
Both Khunita and the injured teenager were taken to a hospital for treatment. After receiving medical attention, Khunita was reportedly left smiling despite his injuries.
For these rescue workers, encounters with leopards can turn dangerous in seconds. Even when a carefully planned rescue seems under control, a frightened leopard can use its speed, strength, and incredible jumping ability to completely change the situation.
