Leopard was shot dead by villagers in Khirthar Mountain Range of Sindh; court orders arresting the accused villagers
By Allah Bux Khushik
Dadu | Jamshoro, Sindh
A team of Sindh Wildlife Department, led by Game Inspector Ghaffar Khan Jamali, submitted a report and produced the body of a leopard, shot dead by some villagers in Khirthar Mountain Range, in the court in Jamshoro on Thursday Jan 25.
The District and Sessions Judge ordered the wildlife police to arrest the accused persons involved in killing of leopard.
Game Inspector said that wildlife department has decided to keep the dead body of leopard in Wildlife Museum. He said leopard’s body would be preserved as per scientific method and kept in the museum.
A leopard of rare species was killed by villagers in village Bacho Sonehro in Combo Mountain area near Khirthar National Park in the limits of Thano Bola Khan police station district Jamshoro on January 23.
After some photos showing two accused holding weapon with killed leopard became viral on social media, the wildlife team rushed to the place of incident and seized the dead leopard.
The wildlife department officials lodged F.O.R (First Offence Report) on the complaint of area game watcher Gul Bahar Aaqlani against five accused including two identified and three unknown accused under section 9 (1) (a) 12 (1) 38 of Sindh wildlife protection, preservation, conservation management Act 2020 at Thano Bola Khan police station.
Wildlife Area Game Watcher Gul Bahar has narrated in F.O.R that he got information on mobile phone that a leopard was killed by villagers in Khirthar National Park.
He added in F.O.R that due to large number of people two main accused, whose pictures had become viral on social media known as Qadir son of Rasool Bux and Ghulam Hussain son of Muhammad Uras Sonehro, and three unknown accused escaped from place of incident.
Also read: Have the Lions and Leopards become extinct in Sindh?
Speaking to this reporter, wildlife officer Ghaffar Jamali said that during initial investigation, it was reported that as the leopard attacked on goats in village Bacho Sonehro, the villagers fired on leopard to save their cattle and killed leopard. He said that it was male leopard.
Ghaffar Jamali said that in Khirthar National Park mountain area, no leopard was seen since long. He said that it might had come from Baluchistan mountain area to Sindh.
He said that very soon all accused will be arrested.
Ghaffar Jamali said that leopards were found in Khirthar National Park Mountain Range in the past, as in 1976, one such leopard was illegally hunted by a doctor from Karachi. At that time F.O.R was lodged against the doctor and he was charged as per law.
He said that after such incident of 1976, some footprints and drafting was found of leopard at different times and local people had also reported presence of leopards in the mountains.
He said that it is difficult to locate leopard in mountains because leopards come out from caves at night time.
Game Inspector Gaffar Jamali said that wolves are also found in Khirthar National Park.
He said that census of wild animals was conducted decades back but no census ever conducted of leopards and wolves.
Also read: The Nature, Culture and Adventure of Khirthar National Park
Game Inspector informed that the high ups of wildlife department have plans to constitute a committee for census of wolves and leopards. He said that foreign experts would also be taken in the committee.
He claimed that as per projected figures of animals in Khirthar Natioanal Park, there are 2000 Hyenas, 22000 Sindh Ibex, 15000 Goral, 8000 deer and lot of jackals, foxes.
He said that in all, there is population of 70,000 wild animals in Khirthar National Park that is spread over vast area from Karachi to Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.
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