ISLAMABAD: Leopards may be the kings in jungles but these elusive and solitary hunters in our northern mountains might be reduced to fighting for their lives.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), seven to eight leopards on average were becoming reportedly victims of retaliatory killings every year.

Although, a survey carried out in 2007 by WWF did not sketch a dismal picture or put these stunning beasts on the endangered list, but there were fears that retaliatory killings had risen – worst, the WWF was fearful that pug marks were disappearing probably because of increased unreported killings of this beautiful big cat per year.

‘There are several killed that go unreported and sometimes even without a good reason,’ said conservation officer WWF, M Wasim.

For years, an excellent eco-system has offered this universally admired and treasured big cat, plenty of diet – monkeys, wild boars and deer and street dogs.

Their presence in our forests is something graceful and they are respected as well as dreaded mostly for stealth and cunning. Residents of isolated pockets in the dense jungles of our northern mountains, their statistics were unknown till 2005, when leopard attacks started happening in the Ayubia National Park spread over roughly 3, 500 acres.

Between 2005 and 2007, a leopard had killed six women intruding into its territory, when it grew too old to hunt its smarter prey. At least 17 people were seriously injured, including children, in leopard attacks and more than 500 livestock were killed by these opportunistic hunters.

‘Shepherds poison or shoot leopards because they can’t afford to lose their livestock and there is no compensation from the government when they lose a beast. Between 2005 and 2007, 11 leopards became victims to retaliatory killings,’ lamented Mr Wasim.

The WWF survey suggested that the numbers of these supreme predators living in the wilderness might be stable, however, it did not confirm this finding.

The study conducted by the officer revealed that on an area stretching 11, 500 acres in and outside the Ayubia National Park found 11 leopards – seven males and four females and cubs were not included in stable population.

Similarly, the survey found 10 leopards in the Machyar National Park in Azad Kashmir spreading

across mountains on 10, 000 acres, which again did not mean stable population.

‘But we know that there are no signs of diseases or other natural hazards that threaten this species,’ added the officer.

The WWF was optimistic to find more paw marks in the Pir Lasora National Park, Wasim said, and it did not surprise him that leopards were finding home way down in the Margallas.

‘Leopards are extremely territorial, and there is plenty game in the protected Margalla hills that encourages its survival,’ he said.

However, the WWF said that there were no programmes to protect one of nature’s more graceful and proficient hunters.