The incident took place in Nanital’s Betalghat block. A quiet night in Talli Sethi village in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district took an unexpected turn when a leopard chasing a pet dog entered a house and ended up trapped inside a room. The woman inside the house, identified as Jayanti Devi, kept her presence of mind and shut the door, preventing the animal from moving freely through the house until forest officials arrived.The incident took place in the Betalghat block late on Sunday night, according to Devbhoomi Darshan report. Devi, who is physically disabled, was alone at home when she noticed the leopard lying in an adjoining room.Rather than approaching the animal, she closed the room’s door and raised an alarm to alert people nearby. Villagers gathered after hearing her calls and informed the forest department, setting the stage for a rescue operation.
Leopard reportedly entered while chasing a dog
According to Devbhoomi Darshan report, the leopard followed a pet dog into the house after chasing it. The dog had run inside while trying to escape the animal, which then entered the building and went into a nearby room.The incident reportedly occurred between 2 am and 3 am. Devi noticed movement and spotted the leopard lying in the adjoining room. With a wild animal inside her home and little time to react, she shut the door to contain it and called for help.Her quick response helped keep the leopard confined until trained personnel could reach the spot. The incident also drew attention to the risks residents can face when wild animals enter inhabited areas.
Forest team tranquilises and rescues leopard
After receiving information from villagers, forest department personnel reached the house to carry out the rescue. According to Navin Samachar, the operation was led by forest ranger Manoj Bhagat. The team tranquilised the leopard and safely rescued it before taking it to a rescue centre, the report said.The operation brought relief to villagers who had gathered after the animal was discovered inside the house. The reports did not provide further details about the leopard’s condition following the rescue.
Residents seek greater vigilance in the area
The incident has renewed concerns about leopard movement near settlements in the Betalghat region. Residents in other villages in the block had also raised concerns about leopard activity and reported attacks on domestic animals.Residents of areas including Basgaon, Saungaon and Simalkha had sought increased monitoring by the forest department, the report said. Following the incident in Talli Sethi, villagers called for more regular patrolling and effective measures to improve safety.The episode in Talli Sethi ended with the animal being rescued, but it underlined the uncertainty residents can face when wildlife enters their homes. In this case, Devi’s decision to shut the door and alert her neighbours allowed forest personnel to take over the situation.