Baghpat, Dec 13 (IANS): Efforts are on even after 24 hours to rescue a male leopard that fell into a 20-feet deep dry reservoir of a defunct tube well in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district.

A video of the leopard jumping into the well in Ranchad village is going viral on social media.

Hundreds of people have gathered at the site to watch the rescue operations which is making it difficult for the forest team to bring out the big cat.

"The site is too crowded which is making the leopard restlessness and increasing his anxiety levels," said Hemant Seth, divisional forest officer, Baghpat, adding that the rescue operation would be possible when the human movement is minimal.

Efforts to clear the crowd have, so far, failed.

The region has a strong leopard population that moves towards human settlement since the forest cover is dwindling.

Besides, the region includes cane fields and river banks that are ideal for the big cats to thrive.