Forest Officer Shares Drone Footage Of Leopard Swimming Across River: "Released After Rescue"

A stunning drone video of a leopard crossing a river after being rescued has gone viral, captivating the internet's attention. The nearly one-minute clip, shared by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan, showcases the leopard hurrying across the water body after being released in the wilderness. The leopard can be seen making hurried strokes as it attempts to reach the dry land.

"When this #leopard swimming through #river was documented. Through a monitoring drone. Micro drones are used for keeping a watch and doing anti poaching duties," Mr Kaswan captioned the video.

"This leopard was released after rescue, hence being monitored and guided," he added.

Watch the video here:

When this #leopard swimming through #river was documented. Through a monitoring drone. Micro drones are used for keeping a watch and doing anti poaching duties. This leopard was released after rescue, hence being monitored and guided. pic.twitter.com/znTdsJncKC

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 12, 2025

The video triggered a flood of online reactions, with users expressing a range of emotions from awe and admiration for the leopard's determination to swim across the water body. A section of users pointed out that the leopard may have been temporarily stressed, immediately after being rescued and released. 

"Lovely video. Such a magnificent animal and the lovely clear river waters," said one user while another added: "These are the true treasures of the world - rivers, mountains, plants and animals. So good to see. Hoping that forests and wildlife will be protected further in India."

A third commented: "Very rare footage because - unlike tigers and jaguars - leopards will not habitually swim across water bodies, unless they absolutely have to. Since this is a recently released leopard, it must be facing a high degree of territorial stress, which will hopefully subside over time."

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As of last year, the leopard population in India stood at 13,874, with a 1.08 per cent per year growth recorded between 2018 and 2022. As per a report released by the Environment Ministry, Madhya Pradesh (3907) houses the largest population of leopards in the country, followed by Maharashtra (1985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).

"India's leopard population is estimated at 13,874 (range: 12,616 - 15,132) individuals, representing a stable population in comparison to the similar area being sampled in 2018 with 12852 (12,172-13,535) individuals," the report mentioned.