Leopard killed in Bajaur district as habitat loss and weak enforcement drive killings in Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa.

On July 20 residents in the Mamund area of Bajaur district shot and killed a common leopard, the largest wild cat in Pakistan. After the kill, the animal was skinned, and the hide was kept by locals who declined to hand it over to the Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department. The incident follows a series of leopard killings in Kohat, Swat, Darra Adam Khel, Kurram, Mansehra and Tirah Valley. Wildlife experts note that habitat decline, deforestation and shrinking prey populations force leopards toward villages where they prey on livestock, leading to retaliatory shootings. In September 2019 a leopard was shot in Darra Adam Khel after attempts to capture it alive failed, and in July 2020 a leopard died after being attacked with hunting dogs in Kurram district. Authorities imposed a Rs150,000 fine on six individuals for the Bajaur killing, but no arrests were made. In March 2023 leopard cubs were reportedly killed in Tirah Valley, and another leopard was shot in Landi Kotal after allegedly attacking livestock. Under the Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act of 2015, the common leopard is protected, and killing it can lead to up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs45,000, and an additional payment of the animal’s assessed compensation value. Environmentalists say the common leopard regulates wild herbivore populations and maintains mountain ecosystems, and that continued killings could harm biodiversity across Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa. Conservationists are demanding stronger enforcement, greater community awareness, quicker compensation for livestock losses and improved wildlife management to protect the species. Naveed Ahmad, a Divisional Forest Officer, said suspects were identified through photographs and that they would be prosecuted under the Wildlife and Biodiversity Act. Ali Azeem Advocate added that weak enforcement persists despite the act, highlighting the need to protect forests and prey.