Islamabad Police on Friday said it has registered a case against an unidentified accused for keeping a leopard as a pet after it attacked residents of a private housing society in the federal capital.
The leopard, which was on the loose the day before, attacked several people. Later it was incorporated by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB).
The case was registered at the Sahala police station under sections 324 (attempt to murder) and 289 (negligence towards animals) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Islamabad Police shared on Twitter, “The suspect endangered the lives of citizens by keeping dangerous animals.”
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۔
— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) February 17, 2023
2/2#ICTP #OPS
The law enforcement agency added that the search for the suspect is ongoing and legal action will be taken after his arrest.
On Thursday evening, the news that a leopard was roaming around Islamabad and attacking people spread rapidly with many people sharing photos and videos that went viral on social media.
In the six-hour-long videos on social media, the young male cat can be seen sliding between cars before knocking down a man and jumping over a garden fence.
After hours of cat-and-mouse, the IWMB captured the feral cat and took it to the city’s former zoo, which was closed in 2020 over animal abuse.
The creature, aged between two and three years, is now in the company of a brown bear, a lion and several monkeys — rescued by wildlife officials in recent months.
In an update today on the whole story, the IWMB identified the leopard as a male and said it was “healthy” at the IWMB’s rescue and rehabilitation centre. “[The] IWMB Scientific Committee will decide the next steps for the recovery of the leopard. IWMB staff have named the leopard Deeaitchay,” the update on Twitter said.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, meanwhile, also gave an update on leopards, calling for an end to private zoos.
He tweeted a video of the feral cat and said it was “alive and well”.
Admin still trying to investigate where the leopard came from exactly. Initial views still suggest a pvt property, but not confirmed. An FIR has still been registered at Sihala thaana, as keeping big cats and species is prohibited by IWMB.He is under observation at Rescue centre https://t.co/xh7O628V15
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) February 17, 2023
“One of our wildlife staff was seriously injured during this 6 hour capture. The cost to the community and animals could have been much greater,” he tweeted.
He later said that the administration is still trying to investigate where exactly the leopard came from. “Initial thoughts still suggest private property, but this has not been confirmed,” he added.
Earlier, citing the number of animal attacks on residents, police said news of the leopard had driven many people out of their homes and the leopard was attacking one person after another. was
As efforts to control the leopard progressed, the counter-terrorism police were forced to open fire after it attacked an official of the wildlife department.
Police also confirmed that a woman wildlife officer was attacked by a leopard. “She only survived because she was wearing a safety jacket,” he said, adding that the animal then entered a nearby house, where it became trapped in the basement.
A total of three wildlife officials were injured while trying to control the leopard by laying nets but it managed to escape twice by breaking the nets.
The Wildlife Management Board had directed residents to stay away from places where the leopard is present.
Pakistan last year banned the import of exotic mammals after large numbers were brought in or bred in recent years, causing problems for wildlife officials.
Big cats are seen as symbols of wealth and power in the country.
Islamabad borders the Margalla Hills where a conservation zone has been established to protect wild leopards in the area.
