A wedding in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, took a terrifying turn on Wednesday evening when a leopard entered the ceremony, sending guests fleeing for their lives. The incident, which occurred around 8 pm at Buddheshwar MM Lawn, left wedding attendees in a state of panic, with many running into the streets to escape the wild animal.
In the midst of the chaos, one guest jumped from the roof in a desperate attempt to avoid the leopard, sustaining severe injuries in the process. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In a bizarre turn of events, a leopard crashed a wedding in Lucknow, causing panic.
— Indian Masterminds (@i3masterminds) February 13, 2025
A guest jumped from a roof, injuring himself, before the leopard was captured after an 8-hour standoff.@IfsSitanshu @lkopolice @UpforestUp #Leopard #LucknowNews #LeopardAttack #ForestNews… pic.twitter.com/jrou99PtPd
The forest department, led by DFO Dr. Sitashu Pandey, arrived on the scene shortly afterward. Despite a long and tense struggle, the leopard was eventually captured after several dangerous twists during the operation. The rescue operation, which lasted into the early hours of Thursday, took a series of deadly turns as the leopard tried to evade capture.
According to a video that surfaced from the scene, the police and forest department team initially approached the leopard, which was spotted on a staircase. The situation quickly escalated when the leopard lunged at the team, chasing them away. In a shocking moment, the leopard snatched a rifle from a forest employee and made it drop to the ground. In an even more intense moment, the animal attacked another forest worker, once again seizing the rifle and knocking it out of his hands.
Amidst the confusion, a shot was fired, which startled the leopard, causing it to retreat briefly down the stairs. “It has been hit, it has been shot,” one of the rescue team members was heard saying.
After a prolonged 8-hour standoff, the leopard was finally captured around 4 am, marking the end of a harrowing ordeal for everyone involved.
The forest department and local police have urged residents to remain vigilant, and the incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by wild animals in urban areas. Meanwhile, the injured wedding guest is receiving medical treatment, and authorities are investigating how the leopard ended up at the wedding venue.
