Wild escape: Sedated leopard breaks cage, launches savage attack on man - Watch

A leopard rescued from the Dhung Khola area of Nepal on September 10 broke through its cage, attacking the handler who was loading it into another enclosure. A video shows the leopard inside a cage placed on what looks like a small truck at Lamjung Division Forest Office in Besisahar. It was in a controlled condition, meaning it had been tranquilised. Yet it managed to escape.

Two men can be seen lifting the cage from the vehicle, putting it on the floor before placing it into a larger cage. One of the men is unexpectedly attacked by the leopard, which breaks open the door of the cage. Bystanders and other officials scream in horror as the animal leaps and tries to grab the man.

The man tries to push the leopard off him as another person hits it with a rod. The video then shows the leopard roaming outside the building, trying to climb a pillar, supposedly in a bid to escape. The staff used barriers and cages to recapture the leopard. As news of the leopard spread, people started gathering outside the office to see the drama. It is now known whether the leopard escaped or was captured. The attack injured 57-year-old forest guard Buddhi Jang Gurung.

Leopards and other wildlife often creep into human areas

In Nepal, wildlife often wanders into human settlements, and authorities and local forest officers regularly respond to such incidents. The animals also get trapped in snares or fall into pits near rivers, streams, and rural corridors. When people come across the animal in places where it shouldn't be, people tell the police and the Division Forest Office. A technical team from the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) reach the spot and tranquilises the animal.

They are assessed for any injuries, and the healthy leopards are translocated and released into protected national parks or dense forest reserves. The injured animals are brought to wildlife rescue facilities for treatment.