A critically injured leopard, rescued from a water channel in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), was handed over to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) for treatment at their rescue center in Islamabad.
As per a report originally published in Dawn, the female leopard, believed to be around two years old, was first sighted in Bitar Nullah, a stream in the Haveli district, by villagers early Saturday morning.
Naeem Iftikhar Dar, head of the AJK Wildlife and Fisheries Department, stated that locals spotted the leopard around 6 a.m. and immediately alerted wildlife authorities. Upon reaching the scene, the wildlife guards found the leopard in severe distress, unable to move its hind legs. Though there were no visible signs of external injuries, the team suspected the animal had sustained internal damage, potentially fractures.
“There was no visible blood or cuts on its body, but it seemed like the animal had sustained internal injuries in its rear limbs, likely due to fractures, rendering it incapable of movement,” Dar explained.
Videos circulated on social media showed the distressed leopard growling as wildlife guards carefully approached it. Lacking modern rescue equipment, the team used traditional methods to secure the animal, placing a rope around its neck and encaging it in a net before transporting it.
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Dar highlighted the difficulties faced by wildlife teams in remote regions of AJK, citing the lack of modern tools as a major hindrance to their rescue efforts. “In this case as well, we had to rely on traditional methods for both the rescue and transportation of the leopard due to the absence of necessary equipment,” he noted.
An IWMB team, equipped with appropriate tools, arrived at Forward Kahuta by 6:30 p.m. and departed for Islamabad with the injured leopard at around 8 p.m. At the IWMB rescue center, the animal will undergo detailed medical evaluations, including X-rays, to accurately diagnose its injuries. “Once the diagnosis is complete, appropriate treatment will be administered to ensure the leopard’s recovery,” Dar added.
This incident has once again underscored the urgent need for better equipment and resources for wildlife rescue teams operating in remote areas of AJK, where human-wildlife encounters are becoming more frequent. Dar noted that, over the past three years, the AJK Wildlife and Fisheries Department had successfully rescued and released more than 250 wild animals back into their natural habitats.
He also recalled a similar incident on July 2, when wildlife guards in Muzaffarabad’s Patikka area rescued another leopard that had become stuck in a tree overnight, resulting in a severed tail. That leopard was treated at the IWMB center and later released on August 22.
Dar expressed hope that this latest rescue effort would prompt greater awareness about the need to equip local wildlife teams with modern tools, ensuring both the safety and well-being of the region’s wildlife.
