Islamabad Police register case against 'unknown' leopard owner

Police say search for wild animal's captor ongoing after it broke free in DHA putting residents' lives at risk

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police on Friday said that it had registered a case against an "unknown accused" individual for allegedly keeping a leopard captive in the residential area of DHA Phase II.

At least six people, including two wildlife department personnel, had been injured on Thursday in an attack by a wild leopard that entered the civilian population in Sector 2 of the private housing society.

Read Ban imposed on import of exotic mammals

Rescue 1122, Islamabad police and the ICT district administration had failed to capture the leopard despite an eight-hour-long operation.

Eyewitnesses had said that at 3:30 pm, a large-sized wild leopard suddenly entered the population and attacked a security guard. The leopard bit the security guard on the waist and he fell to the ground.

Private security staff shifted the injured security guard to PIMS Hospital and summoned Rescue 1122 to the spot. The rescue staff from Rawalpindi reached the spot but could not start the operation due to the absence of wild leopard control equipment and called the Islamabad Wildlife Management Department (IWMD).

The IWMD had then captured the wild cat and shared videos of it "in good health".

Male Leopard is in good health at IWMB’s rescue and rehab centre. IWMB scientific committee will decide next steps for leopard rehabilitation. Leopard has been named Deeaitchay by IWMB staff pic.twitter.com/N9bPc0YHe4

— Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) (@WildlifeBoard) February 17, 2023

Sources had said DHA Phase II residents, spooked by the encounter had called Rescue 1122 and the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department to net the wild beast.

Read More Laws allowing wild animals as pets to be reviewed

Today, ICT police announced over Twitter that a case was registered under Section 324/289 of the PPC over the incident.

تھانہ سہالہ کے علاقے ڈی ایچ اے فیز ٹو میں چیتے کا شہریوں پر حملہ۔

وقوعہ کا مقدمہ تھانہ سہالہ میں درج کرلیا گیا۔ مقدمہ نامعلوم ملزم کے خلاف دفعہ 324/289 ت پ کے تحت درج کیا گیا۔ چیتا کسی نامعلوم شخص نے گھر میں پالا ہوا تھا۔
1/2

— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) February 17, 2023

"A case of the incident was registered in Sahala police station", the police said adding that the accused was "unknown" but asserted that "the Cheetah had been kept as a pet in someone's home".

ملزم نے خطرناک جانور رکھ کر شہریوں کی زندگی کو خطرے میں ڈالا۔ ملزم کی تلاش جاری ہے، جلد گرفتار کرکے قانونی کارروائی کی جائے گی۔
2/2#ICTP #OPS

— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) February 17, 2023

"The accused endangered the lives of citizens by keeping the dangerous animal captive," the police stated assuring citizens that legal action would be taken and that though the search for the accused was ongoing, they would be arrested soon.