18-year-old battles leopard with bare hands, kills it using stones in Himachal village

In an act of bravery, 18-year-old Pravesh Sharma fought off a leopard attacking him in Himachal Pradesh.

An 18-year-old student fought off a leopard with his bare hands and eventually killed the animal using stones after it attacked him near his home in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, officials said.

An 18-year-old boy escaped with injuries after fighting off a leopard for over 10 minutes using only his bare hands. (HT PHOTO/For representation) (HT_PRINT)

The youth, identified as Pravesh Sharma, is a second-year student at an Industrial Training Institute (ITI). The dramatic encounter took place around 7 am on Monday in Sarli village in the Arki area when he stepped out to collect milk, news agency PTI reported.

According to Sharma, the leopard pounced on him just a few metres away from his house. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he grabbed the animal by its jaws to stop it from attacking his neck. The struggle continued for more than 10 minutes, during which he shouted for help while fighting the predator.

Using stones lying nearby, Sharma repeatedly struck the leopard’s jaws and claws until the animal eventually died, the report stated. He suffered several injuries to his hands, shoulders, arms, legs and face during the confrontation.

He was later taken to the Arki hospital, where he received treatment and was discharged the same day. Forest department officials visited him and handed over ₹5,000 as immediate assistance, praising his courage, the report noted.

Residents said the area has witnessed leopard sightings and attacks in recent days. On March 6, a motorcyclist was reportedly attacked, prompting villagers to urge forest officials to install trap cages.

In another incident in December 2025, one person lost their life and nine others were injured in leopard attacks in villages of Mandi district, after which locals killed the animal involved, the report further stated.

(With inputs from PTI)