BANGALORE: A male leopard which strayed into a school in the southern Indian city of Bangalore injured five people during an hours-long attempt to catch the beast, a wildlife official said.

Photos of the incident show the animal prowling around the closed school on Sunday and trying to maul forestry officials, a wildlife activist and others who came too close.

Ravi Ralph, chief wildlife officer in the state of Karnataka, said the leopard appeared to have got into the school from a nearby forest area by jumping over the compound’s wall.

The animal is seen attacking a man lying on the ground who uses his hand to defend himself. The cat is also shown sinking its claws into a man’s leg as he tries to climb a gate.

“The leopard was caught and caged after a four-hour operation, when it was trapped in a room with one tranquiliser shot through a wire-meshed ventilator,” Ralph said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016