A man was Thursday rendered hostage for 12 hours by a marauding Leopard that has terrorized villagers in Chakol village of Teso South for close to two weeks.

Mr. Charles Opalakadi who works in Nandi County as a labor officer is said to have arrived at his home in Chakol at around 8pm and found the fierce animal patrolling his compound.

Opalakadi who had just alighted from his car was frightened and immediately rushed with haste back to his car and spent the night there in cold and fear.

“I took to my heels and bang the door of my car behind me thinking that the animal was chasing me. I was even afraid of calling my wife to let her know that I had arrived but had been rendered hostage in my own compound,’’ explained the officer.

He later woke up in the morning to find out that the animal had left. Narrating his encounter with the Leopard to West Fm, he condemned KWS for neglecting the pleas of the residents to capture the animal that is causing anxiety among them.

Last week the suspected leopard killed nine sheep belonging to the Catholic Church Chakol Parish.

Residents claimed to have repotted the mater to Adungos Police post but the officer turned down the request from the village to have the animal shot saying that they had no mandate from KWS to kill it.

Residents are now calling upon the government to move in and capture the animal adding that animal is posing danger to them and especially school going children now that the schools have opened.

They are leveling their woes to KWS officials who were sent recently to capture the marauding animal but left after two days without accomplishing their mission.