This is the terrifying moment a wild leopard steals a puppy right beside a sleeping security guard outside a factory in India.

Dramatic footage shows the huge feline rushing towards the pooch, grabbing it with its powerful jaws, and dashing away with its meal.

The security officer woke up and quickly stood, seemingly shocked by what he had witnessed, as other dogs scrambled away from the premises in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, on May 26.

Earlier, on February 22, several students trapped a leopard in a school toilet in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh.

One of the schoolchildren recalled that the wildcat had entered the premises, and they initially thought it was a cat, but upon closer look, they discovered it was a leopard.

They then reportedly told the school administration, which contacted the forest rangers to retrieve the animal.

No injuries were reported in the encounter.

Local reports indicate that injuries and fatalities from leopard attacks have been increasing in India. Statistics show there have been 551 reported deaths from leopard and tiger attacks over 20 years.

The leopard population in India has grown 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, the development of homes in and around forests has led to an increase in conflicts with humans.