This is the shocking moment a brave young man escaped what could have been a deadly disaster thanks to his quick thinking.
Mohit Ahire, 12, from Maharashtra, India, was casually scrolling through his phone when a predator entered the room.
The boy was resting inside an office at the Sai Celebration wedding hall in Nashik district on Tuesday morning before being scared away by the big cat.
A stunning video of the moment Mohit made his clever escape is circulating on social media, with viewers praising him for his remarkable display of bravery.
Mohit Ahire was playing on his mobile phone in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, India, on Tuesday when a leopard entered the room he was in.
The big cat seemed to ignore him as he passed towards the corner of the wedding hall office.
In the images, the boy can be seen engrossed in his phone while sitting on a seat facing the door.
But in a shocking turn of events, a huge leopard enters the room and appears not to notice the stunned Mohit as it passes by.
After seeing the wild animal, Mohit silently gets down from his seat while disconnecting his phone.
With his eyes fixed on the predator, he runs towards the door once the leopard is in the corner of the room and quickly closes it.
Even under pressure, Mohit remembered to carry his phone with him when he escaped.
speaking to Indian Times, Mohit said, ‘The leopard was very close. There was barely any space between me and the leopard.
“I was afraid, but I quietly got up from the bench and sneaked out of the office. I closed the door behind me,” he added.
The video goes on to show the spotted cat lying on the office floor behind a chair before being taken out by forest department officials.
Local reports claim that the leopard was tranquilized and relocated unharmed to its natural habitat.
Wedding hall owner Anil Pawar was also stunned by Mohit’s quick thinking and applauded him for staying calm.
Footage showed the leopard fully entering the small room as the boy watched in horror and planned his escape.
The brave young man jumped to his feet and quickly left the room, showing his bravery as he locked the leopard in the office until the authorities arrived.
“The leopard headed straight for the inner cabin without noticing the boy,” he told Times of India.
“When the boy saw the animal pass just a foot away from him, he remained calm,” he added.
According to the business owner, the five-year-old male leopard had been spotted earlier in the day and police and forest officials were searching for it.
Mohit reportedly told his father, who works as a security guard at the wedding hall, that he had locked the leopard in his office, prompting him to make a desperate call to the authorities.
