A leopard that sneaked into a residential Housing Society in Islamabad injured four people including two wildlife department officials before the Islamabad Wildlife Management board (IWMB) and Capital Development Authority captured it after a six-hour capture operation.
Yesterday, video clips of the leopard jumping across walls and navigating roads in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Phase II of Islamabad went viral on social media, leading to an hours-long effort by Wildlife, CDA and Rescue 1122 authorities to capture it.
Capture operation
The Chairperson IWMB Rina Saeed Khan, while sharing the details of capture operation on Twitter said the feline was captured after being sedated. The IWMB team utilized a dart gun, a trapper, and a trap to securely catch the wildcat which would now undergo a medical examination and be released back into the wild.
Earlier in the day, the ICT Administration informed that an endangered Common Asian Leopard had entered the private housing society of the Federal capital and injured an elderly man in an under construction building.
The DHA-2 authorities had summoned the emergency services by then, including Rescue 1122, Wild Life Department, and the police, to capture the large feline. Meanwhile, the police department and DHA-2 authorities used loudspeakers to urge the public to remain indoors.
The four wounded individuals included senior Board officer Sakhawat Ali and Syed Rizwan Mehboob who received injuries after getting attacked by the leopard during the seven-hour long rescue operation.
FIR against the “pet” owner
In a development made on Friday, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police launched a criminal investigation against an unidentified individual for “domesticating” a leopard.
According to a tweet by the Islamabad Police, the Sahala Police Station, which has jurisdiction over DHA Phase II, has charged an unknown suspect under sections 324 (attempted murder) and 289 (negligent conduct towards animals) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The endangered leopard was a pet in an unidentified person’s home, the police reported. “The suspect endangered the lives of citizens by keeping dangerous animals,” it said in a second tweet. “The search for the accused is ongoing, legal action will be taken after arresting him soon.”
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), which captured the wildcat, shared videos showing the leopard “in good health” moving about in its enclosure. It also revealed it was male and that staffers have named him “Deeaitchay”, a play on the neighbourhood he was captured in.
“Male leopard is in good health at IWMB’s rescue and rehab centre,” it said. “IWMB scientific committee will decide next steps for leopard’s rehabilitation. Leopard has been named Deeaitchay by IWMB staff.”
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman also Tweeted about the safety of the rescued feline.