Villagers kill leopard in AJK’s Leepa valley

Wildlife and Fisheries Department orders inter-departmental inquiry into the killing of the big cat

MUZAFFARABAD: Villagers on Tuesday killed a leopard in the Mandal area of Leepa Valley in Hattian Bala district some 100 kilometres from the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The villagers said they killed the big cat with the help of police in an act of self-defence.

Deputy Commissioner Hattian Bala Hamid Kayani told The Express Tribune the leopard had killed five cattle heads in different villages of Leepa within half an hour before straying into residential areas.

“The villagers tried their best to scare the big cat away but it became more violent and started charging at them,” he added. “In the end, the villagers sought help from the local police who then killed the leopard to save human lives.”



Director of AJK’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department, Nayeem Iftikhar Dar, said he has ordered an inter-departmental inquiry into the killing of the big cat.

“We have eight watchers in Leepa Valley and if they could not save the endangered leopard then they will have to face the music,” he added. “Leopard is one of the big cats found in the Himalayas region and is living in the upper reaches of Neelum and Leepa valleys.”

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