A leopard was rescued after it got caught in a wire snare in western India's Maharashtra.

The incident reportedly happened in Achra village of Sindhudurg district on February 1.

Visuals showed the leopard caught in the trap. A rescue team from the Kudal forest department rushed to the spot to save the animal. They were seen trying to capture the leopard and achieved success in doing so.

While one of them held out a massive net to catch the animal, another member of the rescue team, who was standing nearby, held a protective shield. The leopard was caught and a massive net was spread on it. The big cat was then put in a cage.

According to a report, the leopard was caught in the trap while chasing a small Indian civet. A rescue team composed of Sawantwadi Range Forest Officer (RFO) Madan Kshirsagar and forester Malvan, among others, were involved in this rescue operation. They wore full-body protective kits. The animal's successful capture led the villagers to heave a sigh of relief.

The leopard was then medically examined and it was learnt that the animal will be released into the wild as soon as it is fit.

The report also claims that action would be taken against the one who had set up the trap, under the Wildlife Protection Act. RFO Amrut Shinde said that the animal is included in Schedule 1 of the act and hunting or capturing it with the purpose of hunting is a punishable offence.