‘Bagheera' in Ratnagiri: Melanistic leopard leaps from shadows, snatches dog in 15 seconds
CCTV footage from Ratnagiri captures a melanistic leopard ambushing a dog near a home.
In a bone-chilling CCTV video from Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, a melanistic leopard was caught on camera ambushing a dog before vanishing into the jungle with the animal in its jaws. The CCTV footage, shared by retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda, shows the elusive melanistic leopard lurking near the tree line, just outside the boundary of a home.
An unsuspecting dog stands still near the fence, unaware of the danger looming just meters away. In a flash, the leopard leaps out of the darkness, seizing the dog by its neck in a powerful grip.
A brief but desperate struggle follows as the dog attempts to break free, but the big cat holds firm. Within 15 seconds, the leopard drags its prey into the shadows and disappears.
Take a look at the video here:
"Bagheera in town…CCTV footage of a melanistic leopard hunting a dog in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra has gone viral. Leopard are thriving for their ability to survive on a large prey base & adaptation to urban landscapes," the caption of the post read.
The video left social media users stunned, with many expressing shock at how effortlessly the leopard emerged from the shadows, completely unnoticed. "That dog had no clue that the leopard was right next to it, because of its colour. Poor thing!" said one user.
This is the second leopard video to go viral in recent days. Last week, a man in UP was seen fighting off a leopard with his bare hands in a clip that stunned social media.
Mihi Lal, 35, fought off the leopard hiding in a brick kiln near Baburi village in the north Kheri forest division. As Mihi Lal came close to the big cat, it pounced on him and attempted to drag him into a nearby banana plantation. Lal caught the leopard by its neck and pinned it to the ground. Locals threw bricks at the big cat to help Lal.
