Leopard beaten to death by public

A leopard was killed by the public in the Indian state of Maharashtra after straying into a populated area, according to reports.

People in the urban area became frightened and in a panic they beat the leopard to death, wildlife officials have said.

One official told the BBC that ignorance among the public as well as the gradual erosion of space between the jungle and urban areas was to blame for the attack.

"The loss of habitat results in a conflict between man and animal," he said.

It is believed that leopards have been responsible for the deaths of 22 people in the state of Maharashtra in recent years.

In this instance, numerous members of the public chased the animal through the streets of Nasik, before cornering it and beating it.

Leopards were in the news a shot time ago after a number of captured big cats were released back into the wild near Nasik.

There have been previous reports of leopard attacks near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai.