India, June 30 -- In a bone-chilling CCTV video from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, a melanistic leopard was caught on camera ambushing a dog before vanishing into the jungle with the animal in its jaws. The CCTV footage, shared by retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda, shows the elusive melanistic leopard lurking near the tree line, just outside the boundary of a home.

An unsuspecting dog stands still near the fence, unaware of the danger looming just meters away. In a flash, the leopard leaps out of the darkness, seizing the dog by its neck in a powerful grip.

A brief but desperate struggle follows as the dog attempts to break free, but the big cat holds firm. Within 15 seconds, the leopard drags its prey into t...