The animal jumped over a wall
© APThe animal jumped over a wall when forest officials tried to tranquilize it.
A stray leopard found its way into a residential area in northern India on Thursday and attacked four people, reports say.

Residents in the city of Jalandhar notified police when they saw the large cat inside a house. When forest officials arrived, they tried to tranquilize it, but it escaped over a wall and into the village, sending locals running for their lives.

The animal injured four people, including animal control officials, before being locked inside a second house. The operation to contain it is still underway, as another expert team is coming from a nearby village to assist the officials.



A leopard prepares to attack men after straying into a residential area in Jalandhar on Jan. 31, 2019.
© PTIA leopard prepares to attack men after straying into a residential area in Jalandhar on Jan. 31, 2019.
The four victims did not suffer severe injuries from the leopard. Conservator Kuldip Kumar said the animal bit one forest ranger, and scratched two others who were attempting to catch it with a net. The leopard also injured a resident who was pelting rocks at it.

Videos from the incident show the quick creature darting into an enclosure and pouncing on one man as a frenzied crowd runs away.

Confrontations between Indians and wild animals are reportedly on the rise, as more people have begun moving nearby and sometimes inside nature reserves.