This is the dramatic moment a group of street dogs saved their friend from a leopard attack.

The brown pooch was sleeping on the pavement when the ravenous predator suddenly charged at it in Haridwar, India.

CCTV footage shows the wild animal biting the back of the helpless animal in an attempt to drag it away on May 19.

The big cat can be seen pouncing as the dog struggles to escape.

Upon hearing the commotion and desperate cries, a black dog, along with three others, rushed to defend their companion.

One of them bravely confronted the leopard head-on while the others stood by. A brief scuffle followed between the feline and the bold defender.

Realising it was outnumbered, the beast fled as the dogs chased it in the streets.

The dog reportedly did not sustain any injuries from the encounter.

Last year, a similar incident occurred in Gujarat, India, where a leopard preyed on a sleeping dog in a front yard late at night. The victim was reportedly killed and eaten.

Local reports highlight an increasing number of leopard attacks on people. Data shows there have been 551 deaths caused by leopard and tiger attacks over the past 20 years.

Conservationists say India's leopard population rose from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022, according to the Status of Leopards in India 2022 report released by the Union Environment Ministry on February 29.

However, expanding residential development near forests has led to a rise in human-wildlife conflict.