This leopard was on a rampage…
According to reports, a leopard came out of the forest in Jorhat, Assam (India) and started to attack people unprovoked. The “leopard on the loose” situation took place near Jorhat’s Rain Forest Research Institute.
Though the video shows the leopard taking a chunk out of a vehicle, it actually attacked and injured 15 people across the area as well. Three of the fifteen people were forest officials who had responded to the reports and were trying to capture the wild animal.
Iqbal Ahmed, the forest ranger at Jorhat Forest Range, stated that their department swiftly sent officials to the area when they heard the leopard was causing damage and seen as a threat:
“A team from the forest department immediately rushed there to capture the leopard. However, it attacked and injured two of the forest officials.
We then called more forest department officials, but in another attack by the leopard, another person sustained injuries.”
In the video, the leopard is seen still on the loose and showing off its incredible jumping ability and ferocious nature.
Leopard are known to be unbelievably athletic. They can run up to 40 miles per hour, jump 20 feet horizontally, and can even leap ten feet straight up in the air.
The big cat is first seen running by a building, then eyeing a nearly 7-foot tall fence. It seemed as though the leopard might have been trapped within the fenced in area, but it then shows off its preposterous vertical leap and easily clears the barbed wire without even touching the top.
As it lands, the spotted animal literally hits the ground running and leaps at the passing van. The cat sinks its claws into the cars windshield and siding and bites down on the car’s side mirror.
The leopard leaves the side mirror mangled and tears off a part of the car’s window guard, then drops down from the moving van. It then takes off down the road in the opposite direction of the van to continue its reign of terror.
I can’t imagine what the person driving the van that was attacked could have been thinking. There had to be sheer terror within the van, but luckily the vehicle seemed to be somewhat “leopard proof.”
The person taking the video (presumably in the safety of their own car) just happened to be in the right place at the right time and captured the terrifying footage.
Take a look:
Eventually the leopard was tranquilized by officials, but not before it could do some damage across the small town in India.
After being captured, the big cat was transported to Kaziringa National Park in Kanchanjuri, India.
Police in the area believe that the wild animal could have been living in the bamboo forest area of the Rain Forest Research Institute for quite some time, though that could not be confirmed.
The Instagram account “hunting_the_life” also posted the video and had a hilarious (and great point) caption:
“I’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty.”
How would you claim a leopard attack on your car insurance?
I guess the person driving the van has video evidence, so that helps. It still sounds a little bit like a “dog ate my homework” excuse for car damage.
Hopefully the van driver got their side mirror fixed and replaced whatever siding the leopard ripped off.
I’m sure the driver will now look both ways for cars and vicious wild animals at intersections from now on.
