VIDEO: Wildlife team frees leopard in AJK

The Wildlife Management Board, under the Ministry of Climate Change, has successfully rehabilitated and released an injured female leopard back into the forests of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The leopard, which had sustained a tail injury, was rescued and treated for five weeks at the Wildlife Rescue Centre.

After receiving comprehensive care and recovering its health, the leopard was set free in the AJK forests. A video captured the heartwarming moment when the leopard, full of vigor, dashed into the wild, marking a successful rehabilitation effort by the Wildlife Management Board.

This release highlights the ongoing efforts to protect and conserve wildlife in Pakistan, especially in regions like AJK, where such interventions are crucial for preserving biodiversity.

In a related incident earlier in April, a rare and endangered Persian leopard was spotted at Nani Mandir in Hinglaj, a town in the Lasbela district of Balochistan. This Persian leopard, known locally as “phulang,” was found within the Hingol National Park, which spans the Balochistan coast.

Persian leopards, classified as a panther subspecies, are native to regions including Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus. Due to their dwindling population, they are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), making sightings in Pakistan particularly significant.

These incidents underscore the critical need for conservation efforts to protect these majestic creatures and their habitats in Pakistan, as well as the importance of wildlife management initiatives in safeguarding the country's natural heritage.