Udupi: Drama ensued at Pernankila, near Ontibettu in Heeriyadka on July 13, after a male leopard strayed into the area scaring the residents, only to be trapped in the bathroom of a house.

Subsequently, the forest department officials, Hiryadka police and locals were successful in capturing the leopard.

For more than 3 hours the struggle went on, after which the leopard was taken away from the house of Rangappa Nayak (Rangappa Master), a retired school teacher at around 4 pm Monday evening.

Rangappa said, intending to take a pipe he entered the bathroom, he then heard a roar of leopard from inside. In panic he ran out of the bathroom and closed the door.  Rangappa later called the officials of forest department.

Under the supervision of the sub division forest officer KB Udaya Kumar the leopard was rescued. The captured male leopard was later sent to Pilikula at Mangaluru.