A dramatic scene played out in Nashik’s Niphad area when a stray dog fought and overpowered a leopard. The video of the clash has gone viral online. Locals said the leopard had strayed into the village from the nearby forest earlier this week.

In the viral clip, a stray dog is seen fiercely battling a leopard while another dog stands nearby. The stray then drags the leopard, which appears to have given up.

Sharing the video, X handle @nextminutenews7 wrote, “In Niphad taluka, Nashik district, Maharashtra, a stray dog chased and overpowered a leopard near Gangurde Vasti, pulling it by the mouth for nearly 300 meters before the leopard escaped.” 

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred earlier this week when the leopard strayed into the area. The dog launched an aggressive counterattack, latching onto the leopard and dragging it for a considerable distance.

Witnesses said the leopard, unable to resist the dog’s sudden attack, eventually broke free and ran away. Despite the fierce fight, the dog survived the encounter, and no villagers in the area were injured.

As per NDTV reports, local officials said the leopard retreated into nearby fields after being injured. Forest staff have not confirmed if it needed medical care but assured that villagers and domestic animals were safe after the incident.

The Nashik episode comes as stray dogs are at the center of a national debate that reached the Supreme Court on Friday. A three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath eased its earlier order stopping the release of vaccinated stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, calling the ban “too harsh.”