Brief encounter between leopard and domestic cat ends well

Leopard and domestic cat peacefully coexist on rocky ledge inside farm well, both emerge unharmed in Marandahalli village.

A leopard and a domestic cat found themselves brief neighbours on a rocky ledge inside a farm well in Chandirapuram village, Marandahalli, on Monday, with the cat emerging unscathed from its encounter with the predator.

The unusual scene unfolded when Maadhan, the farm well’s owner, was alerted by the sound of the cat growling from within the well. Upon peering inside, he spotted the leopard alongside the domestic cat on the rocky ledge. The presence of people eventually startled the leopard, which soon leapt out of the well and retreated to the forest, leaving the smaller cat unharmed.

Forest officials from Marandahalli, who had been preparing a rescue operation involving either tranquillising or netting the leopard, breathed a sigh of relief as the big cat exited on its own. Concerns were briefly raised about the safety of the domestic cat, but according to Palacode Forest Range Officer Natarajan, the cat was also safely retrieved by a man lowered into the well with a rope.

In the end, both the leopard and the domestic cat were spared harm in the close encounter, marking a happy ending for both.