In a remarkable show of courage, a labourer in Uttar Pradesh fought off a full-grown leopard with his bare hands during a sudden attack on June 23. The incident took place in Jugunpur village, located in the Lakhimpur Kheri district.
Forest officials reported that the leopard had been hiding inside a chimney at a brick kiln. Mihilal, a 35-year-old worker at the site, was approaching the chimney when the leopard sprang at him.
Rather than running, Mihilal bravely wrestled with the animal using only his hands. Fellow workers quickly came to his aid, hurling bricks and stones at the leopard until it retreated into a nearby banana grove, Siasat Daily reported.
Footage of Mihilal’s fearless actions has gone viral across social media platforms, even catching the attention of Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav, who shared it online.
Forest officials promptly reached the area, but during their attempt to capture the injured leopard, the animal lashed out again. In this second encounter, Forest Ranger Rajesh Kumar Dixit, Ranger Nripendra Chaturvedi, police officer Ram Sajivan, and local resident Iqbal Khan sustained injuries.
The injured individuals were promptly taken to hospitals for medical attention. Mihilal, Iqbal, and Rajesh were transported to a hospital in Lakhimpur for further treatment. Meanwhile, Nripendra Chaturvedi and police Ram Sajivan received care at a nearby medical facility and were later discharged.
Later that day, forest department teams returned to the area with additional police support to capture the injured leopard. The coordinated operation was successful—the leopard was tranquilised and taken into the custody of the forest department.