Commander Davenport was hunting a leopard one day, and Yel was leading the pursuit. The leopard turned and leaped at Yel, who would have been killed had it not been for the quick response of Davenport, who shot the leopard. As it turned out, the leopard had two cubs, which the men took. Ironically, the cubs stayed with Yel in his kennel for a while.
Yel disliked gunfire and made the association that, when he heard a submarine, it usually meant gunfire. With his keen sense of hearing, Yel could detect the approach of a submarine before anyone else. The sailors learned that, when Yel became upset, it meant that a submarine was approaching; conversely, if Yel was calm, they were safe.
After the war, Yel returned to Dartmoor with Commander Davenport to live a long, peaceful life.