Its death was not an isolated event. Social media is flooded with photos and videos of leopards that have been shot, poisoned or beaten to death across the country. Conservationists warn that the wave of incidents is threatening the survival in Pakistan of the species, which is considered vulnerable globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe number of leopard killings has dramatically increased in the past few years,\u201d says Muhammad Waseem from the World Wildlife Fund. Unpublished data collected by his team in 2024 indicates that 45 leopards were killed in the past five years \u2013 the same number recorded over the previous 12. \u201cI believe rates are even higher than the data suggests,\u201d says Waseem. \u201cMany killings go unreported.\u201d<\/p>\n While leopards are sometimes killed for their valuable pelts, Waseem says the majority of recorded cases are acts of retaliation \u2013 triggered by attacks on people or, more frequently, their farm animals. Before the 1990s, human-leopard conflict was rare, but rapid deforestation (Pakistan\u2019s forest now covers less than 5% of its land, compared with an international average of 31%) has pushed leopards closer to human settlements. In the Galiyat area, in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this conflict escalated dramatically in the 2000s, culminating in a rash of human fatalities. One leopard, nicknamed \u201cthe Ghost of the Galiyats\u201d is reported to have killed six women before being trapped and killed by police in 2005.<\/p>\n Women face a heightened risk of leopard attacks. In rural communities, they are typically responsible for collecting water and firewood, a task that can require walking several kilometres through forested areas and stopping at water sources. To a leopard, these movements may resemble those of prey. Conservation groups have worked with local women and schoolchildren on how to minimise risks \u2013 for example, by travelling in groups. These efforts have significantly reduced the number of attacks on humans.<\/p>\n Still, they haven\u2019t stopped them entirely. Salamat Ali, a construction worker from the Galiyat region, was walking home from work three years ago when a leopard pounced on him, knocking him unconscious and tearing off part of his calf muscle. He survived, but the recovery was long. He has been unable to work since.<\/p>\n Leopard attacks on livestock remain widespread across Pakistan. For small-scale farmers, the financial loss can be devastating. \u201cI would be happy if there were no leopards,\u201d says Mohammad Yaqub, a farmer who recently lost several goats. \u201cThey are harming us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever a leopard attacks livestock, people become aggressive,\u201d says Sajid Hussain, a community-based conservationist known locally as Sherwala, \u201cthe big cat guy\u201d. For the past 20 years, he has been trying to address human-leopard conflict in and around Ayubia national park, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. \u201cIn my opinion, people are killing leopards because there is no proper government compensation system.\u201d<\/p>\n Some provincial governments, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, offer compensation to victims of wildlife attacks. In practice, however, the process is intensely bureaucratic. The affected person must submit a request at the nearest wildlife office \u2013 which may be hours away \u2013 and provide proof of the attack. If their livestock were grazing in a protected forest area, they are automatically disqualified, even though some communities live inside protected zones and have no alternative grazing land. Even when compensation is granted, payments are small and can take months or even years to process. Many affected people forgo government compensation altogether, relying instead on their families and neighbours for support.<\/p>\n A key problem, Waseem explains, is that the funds come from the state\u2019s budget for natural disasters, which is already stretched thin due to Pakistan\u2019s susceptibility to extreme weather events. As a result, human-wildlife conflict has become a lower priority. \u201cBesides a proper compensation system for victims of human-wildlife conflict, we need to equip our departments with a trained taskforce to deal with these issues,\u201d he says. If leopard killings aren\u2019t curbed, Waseem warns of a drastic population decline. The number of wild leopards left in Pakistan is unknown, but estimates suggest only a few hundred remain.<\/p>\n Although Pakistan\u2019s leopard population is sparse, it spans much of the country. Even Islamabad, the capital, is home to a small population of about 10 wild leopards, which roam the Margalla Hills national park on the city\u2019s outskirts. Proximity to urban areas makes these leopards particularly vulnerable. Despite the efforts of local environmental groups, a bullet-riddled leopard was found dead in the park less than two years ago.<\/p>\n Islamabad is also home to the Margalla Wildlife Rescue Centre, which rehabilitates injured wildlife from across the country. In one of the enclosures, two new arrivals explore their surroundings: leopard cubs orphaned when their mother was shot. They fearlessly scale the wire mesh of the enclosure, to the amusement \u2013 and concern \u2013 of the rangers. Leopards are notoriously skilled climbers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have to fortify the enclosure before they get bigger,\u201d says Sana Raja, who manages the centre.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be great if we could release them into the wild,\u201d says Raja. \u201cBut they were separated from their mother so young, I don\u2019t think it will be possible. We will look after them as best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n This article<\/a> by Ana Norman Bermudez was first published by The Guardian on 11 February 2025. Lead Image: A leopard cub whose mother was killed is taken in by the Margalla Wildlife Rescue Centre in Islamabad. All photographs by Ana Norman Bermudez.<\/i><\/p>\n Help to protect wildlife by making a monthly donation of as little as $1.<\/p>\n Your donation will support vital conservation projects<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat you can do<\/h2>\n