MANSEHRA: The wildlife department has seized the remains of an exotic species of common leopard killed by the motorway workers in Kaim Gali area of Battle reserved forests.

“We recovered remains of an endangered species of leopard from the camp of a Chinese company in Thakra area before beginning an investigation to ascertain if it is killed by workers in self-defence or for some other reason,” range officer of the wildlife department Khursheed Abbasi told reporters here on Saturday.

Mr Abbasi said the labourers working on the motorway passing through Chinar Battle shot the three-year-old female leopard dead and shifted its remains to their camp in Thakra stadium, where a team of his department seized them during a raid.

He warned that if workers killed the endangered species of leopard without any solid reason, they would be taken to justice.

The range officer said the preliminary investigation had revealed that the leopard had injured Abdul Manan in Sum village of Battle forests.

Mr Abbasi said the continuous snowfall could have forced the leopard to leave his natural habitat.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019