Residents of Iklera village in Madhya Pradesh crowded around a sick leopard and clicked pictures with it. One man was also seen trying to ride the feline.
Forest department officials later said the 2-year-old leopard’s health was critical at the time and it was walking around in a dizzy state.
The leopard was taken to Bhopal for treatment and a proper medical examination.
“The condition of the leopard was critical. Despite this people were troubling him. We removed the villagers from there. After this, the veterinary doctor was called from Mhow in Indore,” forest officer Santosh Shukla told NDTV.
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While the reason behind the leopard’s deteriorating health remains unclear, forest guard Jitendra Chauhan told the outlet that the animal is expected to make a full recovery.