A young man bravely fought and killed a leopard that attacked him in Sarli village of Arki in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday morning. He managed to overpower the one-year-old leopard after a fierce struggle that lasted nearly 12 minutes.
The incident occurred around 7 am when Pravesh Sharma, a student at Industrial Training Institute, Arki, was walking through his fields to collect milk. A leopard that had been hiding in the fields suddenly pounced on him.
Despite the sudden and violent attack, Pravesh remained composed and fought back, grappling with the animal for nearly 10 to 12 minutes. During the struggle, he managed to seize the leopard’s jaws and eventually overpowered it, killing the animal after smashing its neck and head. The youth suffered several scratches during the encounter but escaped without any serious injuries.
His uncle, Shyam Lal, said villagers had noticed the leopard in the area on March 6 as well. Residents had informed the Forest Department and requested that a cage be installed to capture the animal, but villagers were largely left to deal with the situation themselves.
Also read: Sukhu flags off prepaid taxi service in Shimla
Residents also said the leopard had attempted to attack a man riding a scooter at around 7:30 am the same morning. The rider reportedly abandoned his vehicle and fled to safety.
Forest Divisional Officer Rajkumar Sharma later visited the site and provided immediate relief of ₹5,000 to the injured youth. Officials also inspected the area following the incident.
Sharma said the destruction of natural habitats is forcing wild animals to move closer to human settlements. “Leopards usually attack humans or domestic animals at night. However, this incident occurred in the early morning, which shows the desperation of the young animal,” he said.
He added that the Forest Department regularly conducts awareness programmes to educate villagers on dealing with wildlife and encouraging animals to move back towards forested areas. Installing cages to capture wild animals, he noted, is a technically challenging task carried out by trained personnel.
As news of Pravesh’s bravery spread, local residents praised the young man for his courage. Teachers and fellow students from Industrial Training Institute, Arki, also reached out to check on his well-being after learning about the incident.
Follow us
