Science has done a lot of research over the years when it comes to the animal kingdom. By now we have an idea as to how they behave and which ones are prey and which ones are predators.
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But as much as we would like to believe that we know animals, we can never really fully understand them. And sometimes, animals behave out of the ordinary and surprise us. Just like the story of this leopard whose strange behavior changed a whole village.
The first sighting
It all started when a farmer in India noticed a leopard enter his property one night. A leopard is known to eat cows and other small animals and the farmer happened to have a couple of animals under his care.
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A leopard can also do great harm to humans and the farmer immediately worried about his family. He had no weapons to attack the leopard so he just kept guard until he spotted the leopard leaving his property a few hours later.
A strange situation
The farmer noticed that the animals did not make any noise while the leopard was around. The farmer found it odd. When he checked on his animals, he was surprised to find that they were unharmed. It was as if the leopard was not there at all.
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The following night, he noticed that the leopard returned to his property. This kept on for a couple of nights and his animals were always unharmed. The farmer was puzzled. If the leopard was not looking for food, why does the leopard keep on visiting his property?
What the leopard really wanted
So, one night, the curious farmer decided to follow the leopard to figure out the mystery. He had to know what was attracting the leopard to his farm and why it started visiting his property regularly. It was a matter of safety for him and his family.
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That night, when the farmer spotted the leopard approaching his farm, he carefully followed it. What he saw next left him shocked. What he had witnessed was against the very laws of nature. He could not wait for the leopard to leave so that he could tell his family the news.
A predator’s paradise
The farmer resides in the state of Gujarat. Gujarat has a lot of resources for animals in both water and land. Because of this, there are a lot of farming communities in the state. These farming communities provide a lot of meal opportunities for hungry predators in the area.
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One of the predators that hunt the state is leopards. Leopards often roam around by themselves. This animal is more concerned about its own safety and will do anything to get to its next meal. In fact, some of them would be spotted even in cities, looking for food.
Regular attacks
The Antoli village is one of the areas in Gujarat that had been attracting predators from the dense forest nearby. A lot of families and their livestock had to leave and move to a different area because predators kept on showing up and putting them at risk.
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The villagers knew something had to change if they want to continue living in the area or be able to raise livestock. But they did not have enough resources or the right weapons to defend themselves or their animals from the predators.
A fearless predator
One of the predators that regularly showed up was a female leopard. The leopard was often spotted prowling bear the sugar cane fields. It was very quiet and cunning. When the evening comes, it would take a goat or a chicken from one of the villagers.
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A lot of the villagers had guard dogs to warn and protect them when the leopard approaches. However, the presence of the dogs did not do much. The leopard had no problem killing them and having them as her meal too.
She owned the night
Seeing this, the villagers panicked as they had no weapons to defend themselves or the resources to stop the female leopard. They feared that the leopard would attack any household once it runs out of livestock to kill.
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The villagers became so fearful that nobody dared to go out when it was dark because they knew the leopard could be anywhere in the area. When darkness falls, the leopard owns the area and the villagers stayed indoors till the sun rises.
Is the predator a mother?
Some of the villagers suggested capturing the leopard at its den but they were not sure if the leopard was alone. They knew that leopards liked to live in fields with long and tall grass because the environment provides protection for their cubs.
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The possibility of the female leopard having cubs was brought up because it had been getting food from the village almost every night. Could this be a mother leopard feeding her cubs? What if the leopard had cubs that would later grow into adult leopards that would continue to terrorize their village?
Going to the authorities
The worries of the villagers were brought to the local officials in the area. Seeing that this was a major concern, the local officials formulated a plan to trap the leopard the next time she comes to the village. At first, they spent a few nights observing the movements of the leopard.
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As soon as they had her figured out, they set up a plan where they could trap her and have her surrounded. That night, they were able to catch the leopard. The villagers rejoiced knowing that the nights of terror were finally over.
The officials found a solution
So what happened to the captured leopard? Despite the terror it has caused, the local officials did not want to kill the animal. They decided to look for a safer and more humane solution to fix the problem.
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In the end, they decided to release the leopard in a forest that was far away from the village. They believed that in its new location, the leopard would not be able to find the village it terrorized from that distance.
The predator is back
A year later after the leopard was captured and released elsewhere, the local villagers were shocked to see that the leopard was back in the area. This time, the female leopard was not sticking to the high grass fields in the area – she could be seen everywhere.
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The leopard was spotted boldly leaping over rooftops and roaming the streets even in broad daylight. The leopard was more daring and the fact that it was not scared to be seen made the villagers fear that she came back for revenge.
A mistaken identity
After a few days, the villagers noticed that this leopard was not only bold, it seemed to be less confident and cunning than the one that terrorized their village. Upon closer observation, they realized that this was a smaller leopard.
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They realized that this must be the cub of the female leopard that was captured before. This means that this leopard was still young and learning to tend to itself. This explains why it had been so bold and reckless.
A frequent sighting
As mentioned earlier, this smaller leopard frequently visited a farm in the outskirt of town. The farmer and his family had several cows on the property and were naturally afraid during the first few visits of the leopard.
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The regular visits were odd and the fact that the leopard did not harm any of the animals on the farm made it weirder. There were a lot of questions until the farmer saw with his own eyes what was really going on. So, what did the farmer see when he followed the leopard that one night?
An impossible sight
The farmer could not believe what he had witnessed that night. It was against everything he knew about animals. He did not know whether to keep it a secret or not but after telling his family, word somehow managed to get out and it spread throughout the village.
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Local authorities heard of the rumor and dismissed it as a prank. What the farmer had witnessed seemed impossible and a lot of people doubted it. Still, the local authorities decided to investigate to make sure that nobody was in danger.
How it all began
The farmer shared that the leopard had been visiting his farm every night at around 9:30 in the evening. Every night, the farmer would stand guard to make sure that his family was safe and every night, the leopard would leave the property after an hour or two.
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Once the farmer sees the leopard leaving, he would inspect the property for damages and check on his animals. Each time, he finds that his property remained untouched and his animals remained to be unharmed.
The mystery revealed
So what was the leopard doing on the farmer’s property for one to two hours if it was not killing or eating any of the animals? The answer the farmer gave was consistent with the rumors. And his wife stood by his answer as she had witnessed it herself as well.
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The answer is that the leopard came into the farm every night to cuddle up and spend time with one of the farmer’s cows. Could you imagine seeing a leopard and cow together? Seems impossible, right? And anyone who heard the story thought so but the farmer had video footage as proof.
Looking for family
Since this particular leopard is the cub of the leopard that was captured a year ago, it meant that this leopard had lived a very solitary life. It must have been craving for a nurturing presence.
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And although leopards are known to be solitary creatures, this leopard’s mother was taken too soon from her. And it looked like the leopard found that nurturing presence in one of the farmer’s cows.
Watching the leopard’s arrival
The first night the farmer followed the leopard into the barn, he found it snuggling next to one of his cows. He could not believe it and his wife did not believe it either. He dared her to observe the leopard with him and that night, they hid in the barn.
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When the leopard arrived and entered the barn, the other bulls skirted out of fear and avoided it. The farmer’s wife held her breath in fear as well. The leopard seemed to ignore the other animals even if they obviously feared her. She knew what she wanted and approached one of the cows.
A magical moment
The cow did not show any sign of fear. In fact, it looked like it was expecting the leopard. The farmer and his wife watched in awe as the leopard approached the cow and curled up next to it. The cow started to lick the leopard as if to welcome it and the leopard seemed to like it. The leopard started purring softly as if to express how comfortable she was.
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The farmer and his wife watched the two interact with each other. The leopard nuzzled against the cow and the cow continued to lick the leopard as if it was caring for it. It was a moment that defied nature and the farmer found it magical.
Asking for help from the authorities
Although the farmer finds the whole thing amazing, his wife thought otherwise. She found the whole thing unnatural and thinks the leopard would soon realize how unnatural this interaction is. She wanted the leopard out of their property for good. The farmer’s wife called the local authorities over the phone.
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The cops that answered laughed at her story, thinking that it was a prank. They could not believe that a leopard had been visiting a farm for more than a week without attacking any animals because it was friends with one of the cows. But the farmer’s wife dared them to witness it themselves.
The authorities investigate
So the next night, the authorities found a comfortable place in the barn where they can witness the leopard’s arrival and the mysterious encounter. The leopard probably sensed that there were more people on the property and used a different point of entry. The authorities almost did not notice that she was already in the barn.
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When the authorities barged in the barn with their guns ready, the leopard was able to make a quick escape. But before it ran out, most of the authorities did witness the leopard cuddling against the cow. It puzzled the authorities. They could not capture the wild beast because it was not doing any harm.
They did not know what to do
The next night, the authorities came back to the farm. This time, they stood on a rooftop that looked down and into the barn. They were able to witness the leopard enter the barn and cuddle against the cow. As the farmer said, it was not harming the other animals. It simply wanted to visit and cuddle next to the cow.
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Witnessing this a second time, the authorities did not know what to do. They had no reason to capture the leopard since it did not harm the animals or ruin the property. But they also feared that the leopard would change its attitude and harm the farmer and his family. Should they let the leopard and cow continue this odd friendship?
The villagers came to watch
With the camera recording everything, the farmer was able to show the villagers that his tale was true and the authorities is backing up his claims. News of the odd relationship between the leopard and the cow spread quickly. People started to visit the farm to witness the whole thing with their own eyes.
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The authorities feared that the leopard would lose its temper when it sees there were other people around but to their surprise, it did not harm the bystanders. All it wanted to do was just spend time with the cow. The leopard continued to come and go peacefully.
Consulting the elders
Seeing that the leopard has no intentions to do any harm, the authorities were confused as to how to deal with the situation. They were not sure if they can fully trust the leopard. So, they decided to visit the village elders and ask for their advice.
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The village elders listened to the story. They grew quiet after and revealed that through all their years in the village, they have never heard a tale of a wild animal acting that way. And although they recognize the fact that the leopard just wanted a family to be with, they had to consider the safety of everyone else in the village.
Protecting the majority
The elders were concerned that if they let the leopard be, one day, its predator instincts might take over and it might attack a child or a different farm. The elders decided that it would be best for the authorities to trap the leopard, just like they did to its mother.
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And so, the authorities devised a plan and designed a trap for the leopard. They all agreed that just like its mother, they will just trap the animal and release it in the same place where they released its mother before.
Setting up a trap
Because of the village elders, the authorities had no choice but to trap the mysterious leopard. The authorities devised a simple trap with a goat as bait. The leopard was expected to eat the goat without any hesitation since this was its nature.
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However, when the leopard arrived in the area, it ignored the goat and just walked around the cage. It continued its way to the cow. This went on for several days. The villagers and authorities were puzzled. If the leopard was refusing this free meal, what has it been eating?
A humane capture
At this point, most of the villagers did not want to harm the leopard. They have witnessed how peaceful the creature was several times. The leopard had become a part of the farm’s daily routine for weeks now and even the farmer felt worried about how the cow would feel once the leopard was gone.
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The authorities decided that since the leopard was not taking the bait, they will have to use a tranquilizer dart to capture it. They decided that once the leopard falls asleep, they will put it in a cart and transfer it.
A no-show
A huntsman was hired to shoot the leopard and everyone gathered on the night that it was to happen. They knew that this might be their last chance to see the surprisingly gentle creature. But that night, to everyone’s surprise, the leopard never came.
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It seemed like the leopard had sensed that she was in trouble. Days had passed and she never visited the cow again. In some way, the villagers were relieved that it no longer had to capture or harm the gentle creature.
Realizations and regrets
Soon, there were reports from neighboring villages that a leopard was terrorizing their communities. This leopard had been eating their dogs – and although there was bigger prey around, it never attacked anything bigger.
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When the farmer and his wife heard about the attacks from the other villages, they knew that it was the leopard that visited them. They suddenly regret the interference they caused. Had they not interfered, the leopard may have remained to be a gentle creature.
The leopard returns
The farmer’s family even realized they even missed the leopard. The cow it visited also acted strangely as if it was sad. Because of this, the farmer and his wife vowed to not interfere again if ever the leopard came to visit.
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One night, the farmer saw a familiar feline shape in the shadows. The farmer held his breath as the leopard made its way once more to the barn. He can’t believe that the leopard was back and he was somehow overjoyed.
One last visit
But this visit was different. The farmer stayed guard as he did before and noticed that the leopard stayed by the cow’s side the entire evening. And it was only when the sun started to rise that the leopard stood up to leave.
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This was the longest the leopard had stayed on the farm. And sadly, the farmer did not know that this would also be the leopard’s last visit. People would say that this long visit was the leopard’s way of saying goodbye to her friend, the cow.
An unforgettable story
No one spotted the leopard again but the town never forgot the odd connection between the leopard and the cow. In fact, the local authorities reached out to wildlife experts to get their opinion about this strange relationship. The footage of the leopard’s visit to the cow was shown and the wildlife experts were amazed.
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The only way they could explain it is that the leopard may have met the cow and formed a bond with it before the leopard’s predator instincts developed. The leopard showed great strength as it had to fight against its natural killer instincts to keep the only family it knew – which was the cow. The story of the cow and the leopard continued to be passed down among the villagers as a tale of love and nurture.