Rajagopal Naik was going on a bike with his wife and daughter when they were accosted by a leopard at Bendekere village near Arasikere in Karnataka state on February 23. All the three fell down from the bike and Naik put up a fierce fight with the animal. After grappling with the animal he hit it on its head with a stone and the leopard died on the spot. The encounter left Naik shaken and bleeding, who was taken to the hospital by passers-by.

Forest officials said the leopard had attacked at least three others before charging on Naik. It had first attacked a woman and her son, who were on their way at their farm at a nearby village. The son had fought the leopard and managed to chas it away. It had then attacked a vet who had gone with a team of forest officials to catch it. It escaped them and ran away only to attack Rajgopal later. Forest officials said they were trying to find out why the two-year-old female had gone rogue.