Male leopard found shot dead in AJK

MUZAFFARABAD: A male leopard was found dead in a remote village of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), officials confirmed on Saturday.

According to the AJK Forestry and Wildlife Department, the body of the big cat was found in the Basantkot area of Patikka Naseerabad tehsil

Director General of the department confirmed that the leopard had been killed by a gunshot, indicating a possible case of poaching.

The body was discovered in a forested area, prompting wildlife authorities to initiate a formal investigation.

A case has been registered against unidentified individuals on behalf of the wildlife department.

The DG said the leopard’s body has been shifted to the Patikka Wildlife Breeding Centre for post-mortem examination.

Wildlife volunteers and officials are currently collecting information from the area to identify those who killed the leopard.

Second victim in Pattika

In the same Pattika tehsil, a heartbreaking incident had happened last year, when a leopard had died after being caught in a trap set for wild boars.

The leopard struggled for hours before succumbing to its injuries.

The snare was set up by a resident in his farmland to protect his vegetables from wild boars. During the night, a leopard unknowingly stepped into the trap, which clamped tightly around one of its legs.

Locals had alerted volunteers from the wildlife department, who arrived at the scene, but were unable to rescue the animal due to the unavailability of a tranquiliser gun. Despite their efforts, the leopard died a slow, painful death.