Islamabad: The reported presence of at least three adult leopards in Saidpur village of Islamabad panicked the residents and alarmed the authorities.
The locals said that they spotted leopards entering the residential areas and attacking livestock soon after sundown on Thursday. The blurry nighttime videos posted on social media showed panic-stricken people while the leopards were not visible. Local media reported people seeing at least three leopards near their homes.
Police and wildlife officials immediately responded to the alarms raised by residents of Saidpur. Islamabad Police requested the citizens to remain calm and said they have deployed security in the village.
Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) officials said that they surveyed the area and assured that there was no need to panic.
In the latest update on leopard sightings inside the national park in Saidpur village, IWMB staff on the ground confirmed on Friday that “no goats were killed or injured. Leopard(s) didn’t even enter into the village and ran away into the forest” after widespread panic.
IWMB chair Rina Saeed Khan said there were only two to three leopards maximum. “They only entered the last house [in the village] where there were some goats. They have left and gone back into the forest.” She said that over the years Saidpur had “expanded illegally” into the national park which is home to the leopards. “The national park is a refuge for common leopards, a vulnerable species” and humans should not be encroaching into the national park area.
Maraglla Hills - rich with wildlife
Saidpur village is located in the foothills of Margalla Hills National Park in Islamabad. Islamabad’s national park is home to rich biodiversity including leopard, barking deer, Chinkara gazelle, golden jackal, red fox, porcupines, pangolin, and grey goral. Monkeys and wild boars are the two most frequently seen animals. Officials say people visiting the national park and the communities living inside the park will “have to respect nature and live in co-existence with the wildlife found there”.
Hikers and villagers asked to avoid hills after sunset
Islamabad hikers and park visitors have been requested to observe the warning signs of leopard territories, stay on the marked trails and avoid the hills after it gets dark. “Leopards are nocturnal animals and the park belongs to the wildlife at night. Humans should not be using the trails at night” according to Rina Khan. A study by IWMB last year suggested that at least five leopards live in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), indicating a healthy ecosystem of the park spread over 12,600 hectares.
Human-wildlife conflict
The common leopard is critically endangered in Pakistan. Leopard attacks are often reported in northern Pakistan in winter when the animals come down from the snowy hills to venture near human settlements in search of prey, leading to conflicts that have led to lethal injuries to humans and retaliatory killing of leopards. Experts say there is a greater awareness and compensation scheme for the loss of livestock to the local community to encourage locals to protect animals that play a vital role in keeping the ecosystem balanced
