text: This is the dramatic moment a brave village watchman fought off a wild leopard armed with only a stick in India. The incident took place in Olani village, four kilometres from Manpur, in central India and was recorded by terrified villagers from the relative safety of hut rooftops. To try and protect his fellow villagers, the fearless ward ran towards the leopard brandishing the weapon. The brave village watchman stands on guard with his stick as the leopard moves towards him . Watched on by a crowd of bystanders, the ward beats the leopard twice on the head as it tries to slash him with its claws . Even though the man sits defenceless on the dusty earth, he continues to fend off the leopard with his stick . After a few terrifying seconds, the leopard - inches away from the man's bare feet - eventually runs off . He managed to strike the big cat on the head twice before it retaliated, dumping the ward to the ground. Astonished bystanders could be heard screaming as the leopard stood at the feet of the seemingly doomed man. Despite being injured on the floor and unable to move, the courageous ward continued to fend off the leopard with his stick and after a few seconds the animal ran off. Mahendra Sharma, a school teacher, said: 'Even the armed forest officials seldom muster courage to fight a beast.' According to local media, the man did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of his death-defying encounter. In last year's Indian elections, rural communities blamed the government for placing them at risk of leopard attacks by failing to provide basic infrastructure such as electrical lighting and street lighting. The dramatic incident recorded by a terrified onlooker took place in Olani village, in central India .
target: Village watchman fought off a wild leopard armed with only a stick in India .
  Managed to strike the big cat on the head before it dumped him to the floor .
  Bystanders could be heard screaming as it stood at the feet of the man .
  Managed to fend off the leopard with his stick while still on the ground .