G-B preserve: Injured snow leopard returns to wild

The wildcat fell off the peak while hunting a Himalayan ibex last week, say wildlife officials

GILGIT:

 

A snow leopard sprinted back to the forest after recovering from wounds it sustained while hunting a Himalayan Ibex last week.

The wildcat has been released back to its habitat in the remote Khunjerab valley of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) near the China-Pakistan border.

According to wildlife department officials, the wildcat got injured on Monday when it almost fell to death as it lunged forward to take down the wild mammal. But somehow, the resilient leopard killed the ibex and fed off the meat for four days as it recovered.

“On the face of it, the leopard had cramped muscle, which caused pain and forced it to limp,” Zakir Hussain, chief conservator of forests, parks and wildlife told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

A snow leopard sustained injuries after it hunted an ibex. The resilient leopard killed the ibex and fed off the meat for four days as it recovered. Having recovered from its injuries, the feline ventured back to its habitat in the remote Khunjerab valley of Gilgit-Baltistan. pic.twitter.com/MDoDgL84hA

— The Express Tribune (@etribune) April 30, 2022

The incident happened on Monday in the Daya area of Khunjerab Village Organisation (KVO) conservancy adjacent to National Park near the Khunjerab check post, about 150 kilometres from Gilgit.

According to wildlife department officials, the wildcat got injured as it attacked the mammal and in the course of action, fell off the peak.

The king of mountains, as it is called, didn’t give up after being injured. It killed the wild goat and fed off its meat for the next four to five days before it got better and left the place for its natural habitat, the mountain peak. According to reports, the injured snow leopard was accompanied by another big cat which left it along the way.

Also read: MHNP becoming thriving habitat for leopards

The wildlife department field staff, who closely monitored the whole episode, reported the event back to the head office in Gilgit. Two senior wildlife department officials – Jibran Haider and Roman Gayas –were sent to the area to join hands with range forest officer Shabbir Baig.

On the information shared by those officers, wildlife department experts back in Gilgit held deliberations about what to do with the injured leopard. “We then decided to discuss it with the foreign experts as we wanted the snow leopard to start a normal life again,” said the chief conservator.

He added on the recommendation from the experts, they decided to not interfere in the leopard’s lifestyle as it was part of the natural process.

Sharing the findings of the four-day long monitoring of the injured snow leopard, Hussain said besides the cramped leg muscle, the leopard had somehow lost eyesight in one of its eyes.

Concluding, the officer said the wildlife department is vigilant round the clock to help out the snow leopard if required, adding local people should also support wildlife officials in saving precious wildlife and other natural resources.