ISLAMABAD: Two people sustained severe injuries when a leopard assaulted them in a suburb of Murree on late Saturday night.
According to sources, a ferocious leopard attacked two people, traveling on a motorcycle, in the Kaldina suburban area of the Muree. As a result, they suffered serious injuries.
The injured were identified as Murad Ali, a resident of the Sindhian village, and Muddasir Abbasi, a resident of Satra Meel.
Receiving information about the incident, local people reached the scene and shifted both injured to Tehsil Headquarters, Hospital for treatment. On Jan 15, villagers had shot dead a snow leopard after it attacked a residential area and injured a man.
Sources had informed the wild cat was killed after it injured a man in Sar Banda, Swat. Locals said the leopard ate many animals and had also injured several villagers.
WWF officials said that this rare species plays a key role as both a top predator and an indicator of the health of the high altitude habitat. Snow leopards are mostly found in mountainous areas of Pakistan’s northern areas including Gilgit-Baltistan.
Wildlife experts have expressed concern over an alarming decline in the population of snow leopards in Pakistan, citing climate change and lack of eco-friendly tourism as the leading factors behind threats to the species.
Snow leopard’s favored prey is herbivores, such as blue sheep, Argali sheep and ibex. In many areas, snow leopards also prey on livestock, bringing them into conflict with herders.