Hunter becomes the hunted as hungry leopard strays into a city... and is pelted with stones by angry mob

They are feared predators, sleek and lethal in the wild.

But this hunter swiftly became the hunted when he made the mistake of venturing into a residential area on a desperate search for food.

The full-grown male leopard looks terrified as he takes cover beside a bicycle in India.

Any port in a storm: The leopard takes cover beside some bicycles as residents pelt him with stones

The animal is chased into a ravine and surrounded by the angry mob of residents

As well he should - a mob of angry residents were chasing him, pelting him with stones.
Three people were seriously injured when the leopard came down to the residential Jyotikuchi area in the heart of Guwahati city, northeast India.
He left the shelter of the surrounding hills and stole into the city in search of food.

The leopard dashes for safety in the bushes as the attack continues...

... but the situation was finally defused when wildlife officials got close enough to tranquilise him and send him to a zoo

But his foraging expedition soon  turned into a terrifying face off with the leopard trapped in the midst of the furious mob.
Wildlife officials were finally able to defuse the situation when they got close enough to tranquilize the big cat.
He was later taken to a zoo.