Officials in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, sedated and relocated a leopard that had strayed into a residential area.

A large net was initially used to capture the wild cat but the animal managed to break free and cowered behind some bushes.

A tranquilliser gun was then used to sedate the leopard and it was then carried into a cage placed on the back of a truck.

This footage was filmed on March 4.

Terror gripped the locals after a four-year-old leopard strayed out of its habitat and entered a house in northern India's Uttar Pradesh on March 4.

The incident took place in the Pallavpuram Phase-2, located in the Modipuram region of the Meerut district.

Visuals feature the rescuers trying to rescue the leopard that once broke out of the net. They secure nets around the plot, following which the big cat gets rescued after hours of tedious efforts. Later, the forest officials release the leopard. The big cat jumps out from the back of a vehicle, following which it sprints towards its natural habitat.

After spotting the leopard in a house, the Forest Department used a net to confine it to the residence. However, after staying put for about 10 minutes, the big cat managed to break free.

The leopard then hid behind some bushes, following which the forest officials secured nets around the empty plot to capture the big cat once again.

The rescue operation that started in the morning was successfully wrapped up by the evening after tranquilizing the leopard.

Moreover, at least 45 forest officials were involved in the rescue. The team included Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajesh Kumar, Dr. Rakesh Kumar Singh, wildlife rescue expert, Gaurav and Tejpal, wildlife guard of Meerut Forest division.