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.

Published on: Mar 11, 2026, 11:56:23 IST

Written by Yamini C S

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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.

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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.

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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.

ALSO READ | Leopard dies while being shifted being rescued from tree-top in UP's Bahraich

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)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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