JAVED KHAN MOHMAND
PESHAWAR
Wildlife department of Khyber Pakhtinkhwa has launched an inquiry into the killing of a Common Leopard in a remote area of tribal Bajaur district, officials said on Sunday.
According to a preliminary report submitted by the Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Bajaur Division, the incident took place in Sapary area of Mandogai, Tehsil Wara Mamond, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, about 70 to 75 kilometres from Khar.
The report stated that field staff were informed about the killing by local sources. A team led by the Range Officer was dispatched to the site to recover the carcass. However, due to law and order concerns, local police permitted only three officials to proceed to the area. The team also faced difficulties due to lack of mobile network coverage.
The DFO noted that there was no police station or permanent law enforcement presence in the vicinity, as confirmed by the district administration. The department said it was coordinating with local administration and tribal elders to secure access to the area, recover the body, and identify those responsible.
A detailed report, including circumstances of the killing and legal proceedings, will be submitted after the completion of the field inquiry, the report added.
According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan, the Common Leopard is listed as a protected species under all provincial wildlife laws in Pakistan, and hunting the animal is illegal.
It stated that the species is naturally associated with humid temperate jungles in northern Pakistan, including rain and coniferous forests. Four subspecies have historically been recorded in the country, though they are difficult to distinguish. The leopards are primarily found in northern regions, with only occasional sightings reported in parts of Balochistan.
Following the incident, the wildlife department has urged local communities to report human-wildlife conflict to the relevant authorities instead of resorting to retaliatory killings.
