Woman ties rakhi to an ailing leopard in Rajasthan

Among the thousands of Raksha Bandhan photos and videos going around on social media, this one could possibly stand out.

In a tweet shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda, a woman in Rajasthan is seen tying a rakhi to the forelimb of an ailing leopard as a show of sibling love.

The tweet does not have details on how she managed to come in such close proximity with the leopard, nor why the big cat was so calm and patient with so many people around him.


"For ages, man & animal in India have lived in harmony with unconditional love to the wild.In Rajasthan, a lady shows this unfettered love to our wild by tying a Rakhi(symbol of love & brotherhood ) to an ailing Leopard before handing over to Forest Department. (As received)." Nanda's tweet said,

The reactions in the comments column were mixed. Some said the gesture showed how we should learn to coexist with animals in this world

Others saw it as a dangerous stunt involving wild animals, which could have unforeseen consequences in some situations.

Some said the gesture made no sense, others said it was rich in symbolism in the way it brought human and animal closer.