Forest department officials rescued a young leopard that had strayed into airport premises in northern India's Uttarakhand state.

The incident took place on the evening of December 1 at the Jolly Grant Airport in the city of Dehradun.

Footage of the rescue operation shows workers drilling into the drainage spout and the leopard inside a cage at the back of a vehicle, being fed meat by a forest department official.

The leopard was rescued after a 10-hour long operation, following which it was kept under observation for 24 hours and released on the evening of December 2.

According to local reports, a guard at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower first witnessed the leopard and alerted his supervisor, who in turn alerted the forest department.

Local reports also suggest the leopard had climbed over the airport fence and taken abode in an open drainage spout. After a few unsuccessful attempts at tranquillising the big cat, the rescue team set up a cage at one end of the pipe and lured the leopard in by agitating him from the other end.

Forest Department personnel rescued a sub-adult leopard that had strayed into the airport premises in northern India's Uttarakhand on December 1. The incident took place at the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.

Visuals witnessing the rescue operation feature the leopard resting in a cage stationed at the back of a forest department vehicle. The officials, themselves feed meat to the leopard while it roars inside the cage.

They then proceed to release the big cat into its habitat after examining it. The officials poke the leopard and spray water at him to make him leave the cage and run off into the wild.

The leopard was rescued on Tuesday night after a 10-hour long operation. Following which the big cat was kept under observation for 24 hours and released into its natural habitat on the night of December 2.

A guard at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower witnessed the first sighting of the leopard and alerted his supervisor who in-turn alerted the forest department officials concerning the region.

A rescue team, including forest department personnel headed by Forest Official Ravi Joshi, constables of the local police stations of the region, airport staff, and Dr. Rakesh Notiyal, was directed to tour the premises in search of the big cat.

The leopard had climbed over the fence and taken abode in an open drainage spout near the forest cover. After a few unsuccessful attempts at tranquilizing the big cat, the rescue team set up a cage at one end of the pipe and lured the leopard in by agitating him from the other end.

Once the leopard was caught, it was examined, fed, and was released into its natural habitat the next day.