This is the moment a huge leopard sneaks into a farmhouse courtyard and pounces on a dog sleeping outside its owner’s front door before sinking its fangs into its prey’s neck and killing it.

The nocturnal attack took place in Tokavade village in the Murbad region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, on Thursday, 3rd August.

CCTV footage shows the dog sleeping peacefully on the front porch outside its owner’s front door before the huge leopard sneaks up on it and pounces on it.

It can be seen immediately sinking its teeth into the dog’s neck, clamping down on its prey with its powerful jaws and throttling the life out of it.

The dog appears to try to break free, kicking its hind legs and moving its tail.

The leopard then suddenly flees, abandoning its prey, for no apparent reason.

The dog tumbles down some steps, where it lies motionless other than the occasional muscle spasm.

It was found dead, with local villagers reporting the leopard to forestry officials.

The dead dog was taken away by forestry officials, who are reportedly investigating the incident.

The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a type of leopard that is found on the Indian subcontinent and is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Its main threats are habitat loss and poaching.