After terrorizing the neighborhood of Islamabad, a leopard was captured on Friday. Escaped from a house in which he served as a pet, he remained free for hours, we learned from the Pakistani wildlife protection services. Videos posted on social media show the young male feline sneaking under cars before knocking a man down on a residential street in the capital and then jumping over a garden fence.
“He’s scared and won’t stop roaring,” director of Islamabad’s wildlife protection committee, Tariq Bangash, told AFP. Pakistan last year banned the import of exotic animals – including big cats – previously facilitated by lax legislation. Big cats, seen as symbols of wealth and power, are particularly popular with Pakistan’s golden elite.
Four people slightly injured
The leopard, aged two to three, slightly injured four people before being captured and placed in the capital’s former zoo, which had to close at the end of 2020 because the animals were mistreated there. He is now there with a black bear, a tiger and several monkeys, all domesticated animals rescued by wildlife services in recent months.
“We have reports that several people in (Islamabad) and other parts of Rawalpindi (a city adjacent to the capital) keep wild animals for company, including leopards,” added Tariq Bangash. The police have opened an investigation to find the owner.