SerpApi.Org
Sanjay Gurjar, a 30-year-old shopkeeper in Rajasthan's Tonk district is being praised for keeping a cool head after wrestling a leopard that stormed into the liquor store where he works — with the harrowing incident being captured on CCTV.
The animal is believed to have strayed from a nearby forest into the shop, which is located in the main market area, according to local reports.
The video showed the worker checking his stock when a leopard’s sudden appearance left him stunned.
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Surveillance footage shows the leopard entering the store as a man can be heard shouting in panic in the background.
Witnesses say the leopard went after Fateh Lal Koli, age 40, first, as he was sitting just outside the shop, before charging inside. Moments later, the big cat is seen lunging at the worker and attempting to bite him as bottles are knocked off the shelves in the chaos.
In a tense struggle for survival, the employee is seen grappling with the animal before managing to break free and vault over the counter to safety, an escape that has since been credited with saving his life. The dramatic clip also shows the shop briefly empty before the leopard returns, prowling among stacked cartons.
The worker is reported to have sustained injuries to his nose, back, and other parts of the body during the struggle and was taken for medical treatment.
News of the incident has spread quickly in the area, with residents reportedly on edge following the attack, amid growing concern over leopard sightings near residential and commercial areas in the region.
Earlier, forest officials say the leopard was first seen hiding in bushes on the outskirts of town.
When residents spotted it and raised the alarm, forest volunteer Rakesh Mali went to check the area, but the animal suddenly lunged at him, leaving him with leg injuries. It then bolted nearly 400 meters (approximately 437 yards) before ending up in the market.
With the leopard still inside the shop, locals acted fast. They pulled the shutter down from outside, trapping the animal, and stopping it from attacking anyone else.
After a joint operation lasting nearly five hours, forest officials from Tonk and the specialized tranquilizing team from Jaipur Zoo finally managed to sedate and safely rescue the leopard.
According to Deputy Conservator of Forests Virendra Singh Krishniya, the woodlands surrounding Todaraisingh support a healthy leopard population and the big cat had probably strayed from its usual territory before ending up in town.
Ashok Tanwar, the senior veterinary officer who headed the rescue operation, confirmed that the leopard was a fully grown male.
