Man in India fights off wild leopard using only a stick - video

Talk about escaping from 'the jaws of death'

The man used only a stick to beat the leopard away (Ruptly)

This is the moment a fearless forest ward armed only with a stick fought off a wild leopard in central India.

In the amazing encounter that occurred in the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the man is seen confronting the big cat in an attempt to stop it from attacking local residents.

Astonished bystanders can be heard screaming as the leopard stands at the feet of the seemingly doomed man.

Despite being injured on the floor and unable to move, the ward continues to wave the stick and after a few seconds the animal runs off.

According to local media, the man did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of his death-defying encounter.

The residents of Indore and its surrounding areas are used to living in close quarters with leopards.

Last December, a leopard was filmed by CCTV cameras as it travelled through the city at night terrorising residents.

While in September 2014, in the nearby area of Alirajpur a nine-year-old girl and six-year-old boy were killed in a spate of leopard attacks, which saw nine people die in a two-month period.