ISLAMABAD: For the first time in six years, leopards have been seen on Margalla Hills.

A resident of Talhar, Mohammad Jamroz, said animals of villagers had gone missing during the last few days.

He said it was normal for shepherds to lose some animals from their herds, but they always returned. However, for the last few days, villagers have found the carcasses of their animals. Five goats had been found dead in the woods and it had seemed like they had been hunted by an animal. A horse went missing next and was found dead the following day.

Villagers had then spotted the leopards in different locations on the hills. The big cats have been spotted near Faisal Masjid and Pir Sohawa and some were seen at different places on the road leading to Pir Sohawa from Marghazar Zoo.

Mohammad Jamroz said the leopards don’t come into the villages and do not attack people unless they were teased.

“The locals are not afraid of them. It is just that they prey on our animals,” he said.

The last time leopards were seen in the hills was in 2009. They do, however, descend to Margalla Hills in the winters from the Galyat, especially Nathiagali and prey on monkeys in the woods.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2015