In a rare appearance close to human habitation, around four common Asian Leopards were spotted in the model village of Saidpur which caused fear and panic among residents.
The endangered big cats reportedly intruded into the village located next to the protected area in the evening and hunted a goat.
Personnel of the capital police were dispatched to the area as soon as the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) took notice of the incident.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) staff was also rushed to the spot to ensure the protection of the public and the wild species.
IWMB staffer present on the ground shared the details of the episode and said they swung into action after a small clip of leopards was posted on social media.
The leopards were spotted inside the Saidpur village at around 7:30pm, he added.
He said once the residents of the area spotted the species, they captured the moment through their cellphones as the crowd of locals focused spotlights on the wild cat.
However, he said the locals had gathered on the spot like ‘spectators of a fun fair’ which was risky.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2022.
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