This incident occurred at the Kombaru Sanctuary in Karnataka, India.
A leopard was pursuing a dog, which escaped into a bathroom through a window, with the door locked from the outside. The leopard followed, and both animals ended up trapped inside.
When the dog saw the leopard, it panicked and huddled silently in a corner, too frightened to bark.
Despite being hungry and in pursuit of the dog, the leopard did not attack. Instead, it and the dog remained in separate corners of the bathroom for nearly twelve hours. During this time, the leopard stayed calm.
The forest department eventually captured the leopard with a tranquilizer dart.
The intriguing question remains: why didn’t the hungry leopard attack the dog when it was in such a vulnerable position?
Wildlife researchers suggest that wild animals are deeply affected by the loss of their freedom. When they realize they have been confined, their distress can be so profound that it overrides their hunger.
Threatening their sense of freedom and well-being diminishes their natural drive to eat. The freedom to think, act, and live as we choose closely links to happiness.