They asked for it! Three people are mauled by a leopard when they lure it out of the forest to film it… and it tears up its friend in front of the camera.

This is the terrifying moment hikers were attacked by a leopard after they coaxed it out of a wooded area.

Three were injured while sitting in the Southern Forest Division Range in the north-central Madhya Pradesh region of India on October 20.

Video footage shows a group of people luring the apex predator from its secluded wooded spot, laughing and saying, “Come, come.”

The big cat was seen confidently watching the men from some bushes for a few seconds.

But the group’s laughter turned to screams of horror, as he ran towards the group of 50 to 60 people.

Several members of the group can be heard shouting at stragglers: ‘Run! Run!’

One unfortunate man was caught by the big cat, which pounced on him and grabbed him before dragging him to the ground.

He was then seen running towards another target, before the footage, captured on a phone, was cut.

The leopard victims were taken to a nearby hospital. Two of them suffered serious head injuries.

According to a park official, there had been another incident of tiger attack in the area a few days ago, following which people had been advised not to venture into the forests.

‘A notice has been issued. We have asked officials to alert villagers and others not to go to the forests. A control room has also been created to help people in such incidents,” Badshah Rawat said.

Leopards are famous in India for killing people.

They are fearsome creatures that can run over 60 km/h, jump over 20 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically, and have a keen sense of smell that is stronger than that of other big cats.

Between 1875 and 1912, nearly 12,000 people across India were reported to have been killed by leopards, although the actual number is likely higher.