A female leopard recently rescued from a cliff where she had been stuck in a trap for days is receiving treatment at an animal hospital in central China's Henan Province.

The leopard, whose right front paw was infected, was given blood transfusions at the medical facility in the Zhengzhou Zoo.

A villager gathering wood discovered the cat near the National Mihou Nature Reserve at Mount Taihang.

The four-year-old leopard, who weighs about 30 to 40 kilograms, was believed to have wandered into a trap set by local people, and had been there for at least four days. She was yowling in pain when the villager found her.

Rescuers climbed to the cliff dozens of meters above the ground and shot a dart of anesthetic into her before she was released and placed in a cage.

The leopard is the only mammal under top state protection in Henan. Only about 100 of the cats now live in the province.

Authorities are investigating the case.