Rare leopard shot dead in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin

A rare leopard has been shot and killed in Mandi Bahauddin district of Punjab, at the Duffer Public Wildlife Reserve, Express News reported.

The leopard, believed to be part of a pair, was reportedly shot twice by unidentified individuals.

Sources indicate that the male leopard was killed, while the female remains in the Duffer Jungle area.

Local residents informed the Punjab Wildlife Department about the death of the rare leopard and the continued presence of the female leopard.

According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Wildlife Department, the dead leopard’s body was seized and will undergo a post-mortem examination at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore.

The spokesperson also stated that the leopard, which may have crossed the river into the jungle, was likely killed in the area.

The department has launched an investigation to determine who is responsible for the killing.

Fahad Malik, the head of the Biodiversity Defenders Group, criticized the district wildlife staff's lack of awareness of the incident.

"This is deeply concerning," Malik said.

"The district wildlife staff  seems unaware of the situation. The question arises: was there a wildlife officer on duty in the area, and was this incident a result of departmental negligence?"

Malik called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the incident by the provincial and federal governments.

He also urged strict legal action against both the poachers responsible for the killing and the negligent officers or staff who failed to prevent it.

"Such tragic events must be prevented in the future to protect our natural heritage," Malik added.

This incident follows the killing of a female leopard last month in Lahore.

The animal, which had escaped from a private wildlife breeding facility, was shot dead by a security guard at a private farmhouse on Bedian Road shortly after it fled.