Family fled in terror after leopard wandered into their home while they were eating dinner

A family fled in terror after a massive leopard wandered into their home while they were eating dinner.

The big cat followed the family's dog into the house but thankfully the family were able to escape safely and locked the animal inside. Picture: SWNS

The big cat followed the family's dog into the house but thankfully the family were able to escape safely and locked the animal inside.

They called the forest department, which alerted the animal charity Wildlife SOS.

A team of three rescuers and a group of forest officers arrived in Pimpalgaon Rotha in Maharashtra, India, and found 700 people crowded around the house.

They called the forest department, which alerted the animal charity Wildlife SOS. Picture: SWNS

They opened a bedroom window and discovered the four-year-old male big cat was sitting on top of a cupboard.

It was shot with a tranquilliser and taken for a check up, before it was released into the wild.

Dr Ajay Deshmukh, a senior vet involved in the rescue, said: "With a huge crowd of nearly 700 people gathered around, the rescue was extremely challenging as their presence triggered fear and distress in the leopard.

"When carrying out such sensitive rescue operations, it is imperative that all necessary protocols are followed to minimise the chances of any untoward incidents.

"Such cases are quite common in this region hence we conduct many awareness programmes to educate people about dealing with various conflict situations."

The rescue operation on Sunday took three hours.

Videos show the big cat launching itself at the windows, sat on top of a cupboard and being captured.