Chandrapur (Maharashtra): Residents of Ballarpur village near Chandrapur had a harrowing time on Monday when a leopard strayed into a residential area and hid on the rooftop of a house.
As people gathered and tried to shoo the animal away, the leopard ran amok causing scare among the people.
The animal, which was itself scared because of the screams of people, ran and hid inside the washroom of a hut.
Later, Forest Department officials came and caught the leopard before taking it to be released in the forest.
Human-animal conflicts have become widespread in India, particularly in those settlements near forest areas, with the forests being encroached by people almost every day in search of forest produces.
Illegal deforestation, logging, and extension of residential settlements and croplands have reduced the natural habitat of animals living in forests, forcing them to wander around in search of food.
