UP labourer wrestles leopard with bare hands, video goes viral

In a display of strength and vigilance, a labourer in Uttar Pradesh held off an adult leopard with his bare hands when it attacked him on June 23. The incident occurred in the village of Jugunpur in Lakhimpur Kheri district.

According to forest department officials, the leopard was originally hiding in a chimney at a brick kiln. 35-year-old Mihilal was working at the site with his colleagues when the leopard leapt at him as he moved towards the chimney.

Mihilal had nerves of steel in the face of the attack. Instead of fleeing, he wrestled the leopard with his bare hands. Nearby workers rushed to the site and flung bricks and stones at the animal until it escaped into a neighbouring banana plantation.

Videos of the attack and Mihilal’s bravery have gone viral on social media, going so far as to be shared by Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav.

Leopard attacks again, injures forest officials during rescue attempt

Forest officials arrived on the scene immediately. However, in their attempt to subdue the injured animal in the plantation, the leopard attacked again. Forest Ranger Rajesh Kumar Dixit, Ranger Nripendra Chaturvedi, police officer Ram Sajivan, and local villager Iqbal Khan were reportedly injured in this endeavour.

Injured individuals were accordingly rushed to hospitals. Mihilal, Iqbal, and Rajesh were sent to a hospital in Lakhimpur for further treatment, while Nripendra and Ram Sajivan were treated at a local facility and subsequently discharged.

Forest department teams returned to the area with additional police backup later in the day to capture the injured animal. The joint operation successfully subdued the leopard. The animal was then tranquilised and taken into the custody of the forest department.