Leopard Enters Karnataka Home As Couple Watches TV, Captured After Six-Hour Operation

Panic gripped a village in Karnataka's Tumakuru district after a leopard entered a house late on Tuesday night, leaving a couple terrified. The animal had reportedly attacked and carried away a baby goat before entering the house, where the residents were watching television. The incident took place around 9 pm in Bandigowdanapalya village near Huliyurdurga in Kunigal taluk. The leopard reportedly entered the house of Chikkamariyappa and his wife, Narasamma, after roaming around the village in search of food.

According to reports, the leopard had been spotted in and around the village for nearly a month, raising concerns among residents.

On Tuesday night, the animal first attacked a baby goat tied outside a house and carried it away. It then made its way into the residence of Chikkamariyappa and Narasamma.

The couple was watching television when the leopard suddenly entered their house. Caught off guard by the unexpected intrusion, Narasamma quickly rushed outside and shut the door, narrowly escaping a potentially dangerous encounter.

The leopard, meanwhile, remained inside the house and hid underneath a cot.

Following the incident, villagers alerted the Forest Department. Forest officials and rescue personnel soon reached the spot and launched an operation to capture the animal. However, locating and safely trapping the leopard inside the house proved challenging.

A team of experts, including Kiran, an anaesthetist from Bannerghatta, also joined the rescue operation to help tranquilise the animal.

After nearly six hours of sustained efforts, the Forest Department team successfully tranquilised and captured the leopard. The operation brought relief to residents, who had been worried about the animal roaming freely in their village.

The incident also renewed concerns among villagers about the presence of leopards in residential areas and the potential threat to people and livestock.