A pet leopard ran amok in the streets of the Pakistani capital for several hours before being shot with a sedative dart, according to wildlife officials on Friday.
The young male cat is seen squeezing between automobiles during social media videos of the six-hour journey on Thursday before knocking over a man and leaping over a garden gate.
The leopard could also be seen attacking an IWMB volunteer twice. Three people got hurt, including two staff members of IWMB, during the entire fiasco.
According to the Chairperson of the IWMB, Rina Saeed Khan the leopard would be kept on the premises that earlier used to be the Islamabad Zoo building
This entire fiasco has infuriated the netizens. They have called for adequate repercussions for the alleged owner and are demanding an end to private zoos.
“Admin still trying to investigate where the leopard came from exactly. Initial views still suggest a pvt property, but not confirmed. An FIR has still been registered at Sihala thaana, as keeping big cats and species is prohibited by IWMB.He is under observation at Rescue centre”
“Common Sense: There’s a leopard on loose, Stay Indoors! Pakistanis: Let’s go out and put our lives in danger along with making the rescue operation difficult. P.S. the #Leopard was captured alive. Some idiot had kept it as a pet at his home.”
“If it’s confirmed that this #leopard escaped from a privately owned facility, then serious charges should be pressed again the owner and complete ban should be enforced on keeping big cats in private ownership @DHA2islamabad @TRAFFIC_WLTrade #commonleopard isn’t common!”
“A pet Leopard of a Bloody Retired General has killed 1 Guard and injured 3 other people today in my street. This guy has been keeping this wild animal since God knows when. We walk in these streets & small children play here all day. We think we are safe. But lol (1/2)”
“Leopard of a retired General has injured several people in DHA phase 2 Islamabad today. Apparently a guard was killed too. In any civilised country, this man would have faced serious consequences for his negligence. But it’s Pakistan & he is a retired general, so it is normal.”
“There should be a ban & penalty on keeping wild animals in captivity in private zoos just to show off. It’s criminal The leopard caught is fine & please have some common sense not to make a spectacle in out of every issue “
“Who was the idiot that kept a leopard as a pet in a residential area? I swear peoples dumbass behaviour amazes me. Reminds me of that idiot who kept a giraffe in a house in DHA, Karachi. Probably compensating for a small peepee”
“Will there be an inquiry how it escaped, is it safe to keep them as pets Also, I can point some places in Ghauri Town, Bahria town and other in Islamabad where they have captive wildlife Will @WildlifeBoard will take action against them & confiscate them”
Do you think people living in residential areas should be allowed to keep wild animals as pets? Let us know your thoughts!
