The case of a seven-year-old leopard that escaped in Nezlobnaya, Stavropol Territory
The owner of a seven-year-old leopard was seriously injured after the big cat escaped its enclosure in the village of Nezlobnaya. The wildcat attacked with enough force to require stitches in the ear and head, a medical intervention that lasted about an hour and a half. The victim’s son, Andrei Baskakov, spoke about the incident to socialbites.ca and described the leopard as a serious threat to the nearby residents, leading to a decision to neutralize the animal.
According to Andrei, his father Dmitry had a routine of feeding the leopard, this time offering chicken necks. He entered the enclosure to hand over the food, turned away, and was suddenly attacked from behind. Previously the horse accompanying the family, though affectionate, did not pose a danger, but the leopard turned on Dmitry and began grabbing him. Andrei recalled scratching the animal’s ear and sustaining numerous injuries as the leopard fled. By 2:30 in the morning, the family had woken, and a search for the leopard began. The best efforts of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the police, and other services followed as they combed the forest belt. The leopard was eventually found on a neighbor’s land. A tragic choice lay before the community: protect the leopard or protect the neighbor. Three shots were fired, and the leopard was neutralized to prevent further risk to the neighboring household, according to Andrei’s account.
Further details indicate that the head of the family and his sons participated in the two-plus hour search despite their own injuries. When the wild cat was located inside a neighbor’s home and danger had been communicated to the neighbors, Dmitry Baskakov was taken away by ambulance for treatment.
Andrei noted that his father reached the hospital roughly two hours after the incident, when authorities arrived at the neighbor’s residence. His face was covered in blood, and he could barely stand. In the city hospital, doctors sewed the ear for about 30 minutes and the head for about an hour. He described the injuries as severe in that area, a testament to the leopard’s power and unpredictability.
The younger man emphasized that the leopard lived within a large, well-maintained area and suggested that the aggression exhibited by the wild cat was not easily explained. He defended his father, noting that Dmitry had built the enclosure and did not operate any kind of zoo business. The enclosure is spacious and includes trees, and the family argued that the leopard’s life there was not neglected. Some social media commenters accused the family of treating the leopard as a circus attraction, but Andrei asserted that the conditions were humane and that the animal had thrived there for seven years. The leopard had spent five years in the large enclosure and, prior to that, two years in a room on a second floor during the enclosure’s construction. The family stressed that there had never been an indication of aggression prior to this incident. While they cannot determine the leopard’s origin, Andrei warned that, as a predator, its true nature could reveal itself sooner or later.
On Sunday, December 3, Telegram channel 112 reported that the leopard had escaped from a private farm in the Stavropol Territory and injured its owner. The Investigative Committee is now examining whether the owner possessed a permit to keep a wild animal, a step meant to evaluate compliance with the relevant laws and safety requirements. The case underscores ongoing debates about private ownership of dangerous wildlife and the responsibilities of caregivers in rural areas. And while authorities review permits and containment practices, residents in nearby communities remain vigilant and cautious, with emergency services prepared to respond to future incidents.
In a separate note, bailiffs in Ugra previously confiscated four bears.