Panic loomed among the residents of Ballarpur village in India's western Maharashtra today after a leopard hid on the rooftop of a house and ran amok after being found.

The leopard strayed into the village, scaring the residents and forcing them to run for their lives.

It attacked another resident while people tried to corner it.

No injuries have been reported in the incident.

Meanwhile, the animal, itself scared, ran into the bathroom of a hut to hide from the crowd.

Reportedly, the Forestry Department has caught the leopard and is in the process of releasing it into the wild.

Illegal deforestation, logging, earth-cutting and extension of residential settlements and croplands into reserved forests and hillocks have reduced the natural habitat of animals, forcing animals to wander around in search of food.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.