A video that emerged showcases a group of people playing with a sick Leopard, taking selfies with it and harassing it repeatedly. The clip has been shared widely on social media platforms.

According to reports, the incident was reported in Iklera village of Dewas district in Madhya Pradesh where villagers harassed the ill leopard and took selfies with it.

After receiving the information about the incident, the Forest Department officials reached the spot and rescued the leopard.

As per the reports, a leopard wandering around the nearby forests of Iklera was seen by some villagers. At first, villagers were terrified, but as they noticed the big cat was acting lazy instead of displaying aggressive behaviour, they started harassing the leopard as it was not well.

During a recent incident, a concerned individual reported to the forest department about a leopard in their village. While waiting for help to arrive, some locals engaged in playful interactions with the animal, even taking selfies with it. Shockingly, one person tried to ride the leopard. Fortunately, a rescue team from Ujjain arrived in Iklera and safely relocated the leopard to a secure location.

Forest Officer Santosh Shukla stated that the rescue team took the two-year-old leopard to Van Vihar in Bhopal for a medical check-up.

The leopard was wandering in the forest in a disoriented state and couldn’t walk properly, said Forest guard Jitendra Chauhan. He informed that the leopard is currently receiving treatment at Van Vihar and is expected to recover soon.

Recent reports indicate a rise in conflicts between humans and leopards across several Indian states. This has resulted in negative outcomes for both parties involved. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, which have the highest leopard populations, have witnessed a surge in their numbers in recent times.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of leopards in India with 3,421, followed by Karnataka with 1,783 and Maharashtra with 1,690. Other regions have also seen an increase in the wild cat population.

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