A male leopard, torn between a female companion and a chicken in a cage as it found the tasty snack too tempting to resist.

But it was not an easy decision to make.

While the bird lured him, his warning signals probably flashed suggesting that someone had placed a meal to trap him.

An unappetising prospect that also meant a definite separation from an attractive female he had been mating with recently.

But the chicken awaited and the enticement was strong. He tried to sneak into the cage but changed his mind. He then leaped in and ejected himself instantly.

The leopard grew increasingly impatient and finally got trapped.

The moment was captured on a camera placed by Friends of Animals Welfare Trust in Gujarat, India.

They had placed a cage at Khambla village, where a leopard had been stalking people.

After the male leopard was captured, two volunteers went for a closer look but retreated when they sensed the presence of a second animal.

As the male leopard sat cooling his heels, his female companion appeared. Heartbroken, she spent some time sniffing around the cage and went away.

Jatin Rathod of the Animals Welfare Trust said he was surprised to come across two leopards instead of one and talked to the villagers to piece together the story.

The female leopard had recently lost her two cubs in a fire accident at a sugarcane field. After the tragedy, she was ready to mate again and had found a mate.

The male leopard was later released in a nearby forest.