The male leopard, aged around three years, got stuck in the fence while straying into the estate near Vandi Cholai, a residential neighbourhood on Coonoor- Kotagiri road.

Around 7.30 am, the front legs of the leopard, which tried to move into the tea estate, got trapped in the fence. As the furious leopard roared in pain in its attempt to free itself from the fence, the local villagers gathered in large numbers to see the animal.

On receiving information, the forest department staff rushed to the spot and made arrangements to rescue the leopard by administering sedation shots. However, by then the animal, fortunately, managed to free itself from the fence and leapt into the tea estate.

Forest department staff said that the leopard managed to free itself after struggling for over two hours. Villagers raised apprehensions that the animal may return anytime into the residential neighbourhood and sought the forest department to take measures to prevent the animal from straying out of the jungle