Female leopard succumbs to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital

Islamabad Wildlife Management Board officials and veterinary doctors perform x-ray on a tranqulised injured leopard for treatment in Islamabad on September 11, 2024. The female leopard, rescued from Azad Kashmir, succumbed to gunshot wounds on Thursday (Sep. 19), according to the wildlife officials. (Photo courtesy: Facebook/IWMB)

• Leopard was brought to Islamabad from Azad Kashmir, where it suffered gunshot wounds
• She was shot near the heart at close range which proved fatal, says wildlife official 

ISLAMABAD: A female leopard succumbed to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital this week, state-run media reported, despite efforts by the city’s wildlife team to save her life.
The leopard, also known as “The Malka Queen” was rescued from Azad Kashmir’s Haveli district by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in a severely injured state after being wounded by gunshots, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
It said bullets had damaged the leopard’s spinal cord and rear paws due to which she could neither stand nor walk. The report did not specify when the female leopard was rescued and brought to Islamabad.
“A female leopard (Malka-Queen) rescued from Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Haveli district perished amid rehabilitation efforts of IWMB,” APP said. 
It added that the killer had shot the leopard close to her heart which proved fatal for her. 
An IWMB spokesperson said medical experts removed the bullets from the leopard’s body but were unable to prevent her from dying. 
“One shot hit Malka near the heart and the other near the spinal cord,” the spokesperson said. “The veterinarians had also expressed concern for the Queen’s life as the vet had already indicated minimal chances of recovery but still, we tried our best as we wanted to give her a chance.”
The IWMB had informed the Azad Kashmir Wildlife Department about the leopard’s death, prompting the latter to initiate legal action against the accused responsible for shooting the leopard, the spokesperson said. 
 “We have informed AJK wildlife department that it’s a 12-bore shotgun shot hit from quite close distance with an SG or LG Cartridge,” the spokesperson said. 
The body of the leopard was shifted to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History in consultation with the Azad Kashmir Wildlife Department to preserve the leopard’s taxidermy for research and education purposes. 
The IWMB official clarified that taxidermy of only those wild animals was allowed that were considered important for research and education purposes whereas those with risks of communicable or viral diseases were buried.
He said taxidermy was an important component required for further research and education purposes to enhance knowledge of the wild species.