Leopard mauls several people in six-hour rampage through Indian city

Crowds flee in terror as big cat marauded through gardens and streets

A wild leopard has mauled six people after going on a six-hour rampage through the Indian city of Jalandhar.

The big cat hauled several of its victims to the ground as they tried to catch it. Video shows crowds fleeing in terror as the animal turns on them.

One man had his arm gnawed, while another was knocked from the top of a ladder as he tried to throw a net over the creature.

None of those attacked were seriously injured.

The drama unfolded on Thursday after the leopard was first spotted in a house in the Lamba Pind area of the Punjab state city, Indian newspaper The Tribune reports.

Wildlife officials said they believed the animal had strayed from the hills of nearby Himachal Pradesh state and then reached Jalandhar through fields and forests.

As news of the leopard spread, police had to block several city streets – partially in an attempt to detain it and partially to stop people gathering to watch the ongoing chase.

After initially attempting to catch the big cat with a net, officials eventually shot it with a tranquiliser then took it to a nearby zoo in Chatbir for examination.

Officials said it would remain under observation for some days before its future was decided at some point during the next week.

Although its measurements have not been released, pictures suggest it is somewhat smaller than India’s most deadly leopard – a man-eater caught in the city of Bilaspur in 2016.