Leopards face growing threats across K-P

Threats to the survival of the common leopard in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are increasing with the passage of time.

On July 20, a valuable and rare leopard was shot and killed by local residents in Bajaur district. This is not the first such incident. Previously, common leopards have also been killed in Kohat, Swat, Mansehra, Darra Adam Khel and Tirah Valley.

The primary reason is believed to be lack of food available to leopards, forcing them to enter human settlements in search of food. Another major factor is the lack of punishment for those who kill wildlife.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shahid Khan, a young man from the tribal district of Bajaur, said that a leopard was brutally killed in the mountainous area of Mamund tehsil, which is located near the Afghan border.

Not only was the animal killed, he said, but local people also skinned it and kept the hide for themselves, refusing to hand it over to the Wildlife Department.

In September 2019, in the semi-tribal area of Darra Adam Khel, located at the junction of Peshawar and Kohat, local residents attempted to capture a leopard alive. When they failed, they killed the animal and took selfies with it.

Similarly, in July 2020, a beautiful and rare leopard lost its life after entering a populated area in the tribal district of Kurram.

Hunting dogs were also set upon the leopard, but the dogs were injured during the incident. Eventually, tribal residents shot and killed the leopard.

The Wildlife Department imposed a fine of Rs150,000 on them, which was collectively paid by six people. However, no arrests were made.

Likewise, in March 2023, local residents killed and discarded several leopard cubs, only a few months old, in Tirah Valley of Khyber tribal district.

During the same month, a rare leopard was also killed in the Shalman area of Landi Kotal after entering a populated area and preying on sheep and goats. In these cases too, action remained largely limited to paperwork, while the penalties and fines prescribed under the Wildlife Act were not effectively enforced.

This is largely because, in Pakistan's tribal areas, the Wildlife Department has limited access and inadequate facilities, meaning that action against those responsible for the destruction of wildlife is virtually nonexistent.

Regarding the killing of wildlife, particularly common leopards, Naveed Ahmed, DFO for the tribal areas at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department, said that the individuals responsible for killing the leopard in Bajaur had been identified with the help of photographs and would not be spared.

He said that the area is difficult to access and lacks internet and other basic facilities, making it difficult to maintain contact with field staff.