Forest officials rescued a leopard that had fallen into an empty pit used to store water in Udupi, Karnataka.

Footage from May 25 shows the team of officials lowering a cage into the pit as well as using netting to haul the big cat out.

The 5-year-old leopard was eventually restrained in the cage and hauled out of the pit. It was then released into a forest at night.

A leopard that fell into a water tank was rescued by Forest Department personnel in southern India's Karnataka on May 25. The incident took place in Kodladi village in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district.

A video features a leopard stuck inside a water tank and the forest officials lowering a cage into the water tank with the help of ropes to save the leopard. Following this, the team puts a net over the mammal to restrain its movement and confines the big cat. They immediately close the gate of the cage with a stick and pull it to the surface with collective effort. Later, the creature glances at the onlookers as it attempts to set itself free.

A five-year-old male leopard strayed near Kodladia in search of subsistence and fell inside the water tank during the daytime. Following this, a local discovered the mammal and immediately informed the authorities in the Kundapura forest division. Following this, a forester, identified as Prabhakar, rushed to the spot, along with Sarat, Shivakumar, Uday, Ranjith, and Vijay to commence with the rescue operation. Furthermore, they managed to rescue the leopard and released it in the forest cover by the night after ensuring his safety.