This is the incredible moment villagers and forest officials teamed up to rescue a  wild leopard after it became trapped inside a well using a ladder in central India.

The dramatic scene unfolded when locals spotted the three-year-old wild cat struggling to stay afloat in a 20 foot deep well in Dhundi village near Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Mobile phone footage shows the group carefully lowering the bamboo ladder, which was about six metres long, inside the well as the leopard continues to splash around the water.

The wooden contraption is submerged for several minutes before the leopard begins to ascend the rungs of the ladder to safety before swiftly darting off into the nearby forest.

After the ladder is lowered into the 20 foot deep well, the leopard can be seen climbing up and reaching the top. He then makes a very quick exit

Locals spotted the leopard submerged in the water after it fell into the well while searching for food. The villagers raised the alarm and animal rescue teams were called

The leopard was believed to have fallen into the well when it was searching for food and water.

Lokesh Nirapure, assistant director of forest services said: ‘I instructed my staff to arrange ladders and some ropes. When I reached the spot, the ladder was ready.’

Villagers and forest rescue teams worked together to lower the makeshift ladder into the well. Wild animal sightings are said to be common in the area because of deforestation

An attempt was made to save the leopard with a rope but it failed as the wild cat was not able to pull itself up

‘As mercury rises, the wild animals stray into human habitats in search of water. The villagers said this leopard had been also been spotted several times near the water bodies and wells recently.