A team from India's Forest Department on Thursday (December 3) freed a wild leopard which was caught in a wire trap in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Footage of the rescue operation near Madhav National Park shows the four-year-old female leopard writhing in pain in the trap.

The forest officials can then be seen covering the tranquilised animal with a piece of fabric and a net.

The feline was then carried on a stretcher so that experts could examine its injuries.

After keeping the animal under observation for at least nine hours in a cage, the leopard was released into the wild.

A four-year-old female leopard that got stuck in a wire trap was rescued by the Forest Department team in central India's Madhya Pradesh on December 3.

The rescue operation was carried out near Madhav National Park in Shivpuri of Gwalior division.

Visuals of the rescue operation feature the leopard writhing in pain with the net tightly fastened around its waist. The forest officials can then be seen covering the tranquilised animal with a piece of fabric and a net to rescue it safely. 

They proceed to carry it to a stretcher to further transport it to get the wounded animal immediate medical attention. 

The injured leopardess was spotted by a farmer in the North Range of the park. He instantly informed the Chief Conservator of Forests and Madhav National Park Director YP Singh, who came with a rescue team for the immediate rescue of the trapped animal.

The Forest Department personnel noticed that the animal was entangled within a wire trap set up by residents of the area to trap smaller animals. The leopard walked into the trap unsuspectingly and was left stranded.

In order to treat it, the leopard was tranquillised after obtaining permission from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Bhopal. Upon receiving confirmation, Dr Jitendra Kumar Jatav tranquillised the animal and cut the wire constricting the animal's body.

After keeping it under observation for at least nine hours in a cage, the leopard was released into the wild. A video of the release shows the animal speeding into the wild on being liberated.