18-year-old fights off leopard with bare hands, kills it with stones in Himachal village

An 18-year-old student in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district fought off a leopard with his bare hands and eventually killed the animal using stones after it attacked him near his home. The dramatic encounter took place on Monday morning in Sarli village of the Arki area when the youth, identified as Pravesh Sharma, stepped out around 7 am to collect milk.

According to reports, the leopard suddenly pounced on Sharma just a few metres away from his house. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, he grabbed the animal by its jaws to prevent it from attacking his neck. The struggle continued for more than 10 minutes as he shouted for help while trying to fend off the predator.

During the intense fight, Sharma used stones lying nearby and repeatedly struck the leopard’s jaws and claws. The continuous blows eventually overpowered the animal, leading to its death. Sharma sustained several injuries on his hands, shoulders, arms, legs and face during the confrontation.

He was later taken to the Arki hospital where he received treatment and was discharged the same day. Forest department officials visited him following the incident and provided ₹5,000 as immediate assistance, praising his courage.

Residents of the village said leopard sightings had been reported in the area for several days. Locals claimed they had alerted authorities earlier after spotting the animal and requested trap cages to capture it. The incident has once again highlighted concerns about increasing human–wildlife conflict in parts of Himachal Pradesh.