Bengaluru: In a hair-raising incident, a leopard entered a house in Kuntlu Reddy Layout in Jigani on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Thursday, but the family managed to escape unharmed after locking it in a room. 

The house owner, Venkatesh, along with his wife, Venkatalaxmi, and son, Nikhil, managed to escape from the house after locking the leopard in one of the rooms. They immediately informed the police and the Forest Department about the incident.

After a five-hour-long operation in the rain, the authorities successfully tranquilised the leopard and placed it in a cage.

Thousands of locals gathered near the site to witness the rescue operation and appreciated the efforts of the officials.

Venkatesh first spotted the leopard entering his house around 8 a.m. while he was with his wife. Instead of panicking, he carefully led his wife and son out of the house. Meanwhile, the leopard took shelter under a cot in the bedroom. A team led by anaesthesia expert Dr Kiran tracked the leopard’s position and managed to administer a tranquiliser shot.

Once the leopard was sedated, it was safely placed in a cage brought to the spot by the Forest Department.

Talking to the media after the operation, Venkatesh said: “The leopard entered our house early in the morning. We had placed a plywood board at the door, but it managed to jump over it and get inside. Somehow, I managed to shut the door afterward. Since our home is close to the forest, we need to be cautious about wild animal movements. By God's grace, nothing happened, and everything ended well.:

Venkatalaxmi said: "I was watching television with my husband in the morning when, suddenly, the leopard entered through the main door. I saw its tail and immediately informed my husband. He quickly took us outside and closed the door. Thankfully, the leopard was captured safely, and no harm was caused to anyone.”

In recent months, there have been several reports of leopard sightings and attacks in and around Bengaluru, including a fatal attack on a woman in Nelamangala, prompting increased vigilance and advisories for residents.

A 50-year-old woman was killed in a leopard attack near Shivagange Hills in Nelamangala taluk of Bengaluru Rural district while gathering fodder for her cattle on November 19 last year. (IANS)