LAHORE: A rare leopard was found shot dead in the Duffer Public Wildlife Reserve in Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab.
Local authorities reported that the animal, a male, was killed by gunfire. The incident occurred in a remote part of the reserve, with the leopard believed to be part of a pair. While the male was found dead, the female is still believed to be in the area.
Local residents alerted the Punjab Wildlife Department after discovering the dead animal. The department quickly recovered the leopard’s body, which is now set to undergo a post-mortem at Lahore’s University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. Initial reports suggest the leopard may have wandered across a nearby river into the jungle before it was shot.
The Punjab Wildlife Department has launched an inquiry to identify the individuals behind the killing. Fahad Malik, leader of the Biodiversity Defenders Group, criticized the lack of response from the district wildlife department, questioning whether there were any officials monitoring the area at the time.
He called for immediate and thorough investigations at both the provincial and federal levels, stressing the importance of holding the responsible parties, including any negligent officials, accountable.
This tragic killing follows a similar incident last month in Lahore, where a female leopard that had escaped a private wildlife facility was shot by a security guard.
