Straying leopard sets panic in India

A wave of panic was set among the citizens of Ballarpur, Chandrapur district in Central India, after a leopard escaped through a hole in the roof and attacked the bystanders.

The animal may have strayed into Ballarpur from the nearby Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve.

The leopard probably went after a meal, as the area where he strayed contains "hundreds of cows, calves and buffaloes,", according to local press.

The feline was tranquilized by the forestry workers after four hours and released into the wild.

According to tiger coordinator for the World Wildlife Fund India, Jimmy Borah, "There are many cases where human habitats are encroaching on those of big cats, which are getting lesser and lesser over the years. The cats are forced to come out of their habitats to look for food. There is lots of habitat loss and with that food source loss - it's one of the main problems, which is why they are coming out."