KOHAT: The administration of Darra Adamkhel subdivision has arrested a man for killing a leopard in the area.

The arrested man, however, later told the officials that he shot dead the wildcat in self-defence.

The wildlife department has sent an investigation team to Darra for further probe into the matter.

Azam Khan, an official in Darra, told Dawn that Raheem Dada, a shepherd, from Tor Chappar area of the former tribal region, had killed a rare leopard after it had killed many cattle. He said they had arrested the man and recorded his statement. According to him, he was grazing his goats in the forest along with his children when he saw a leopard coming towards them.

The man was quoted as saying that he fired in the hope that the leopard would run away but the bullet hit the wildcat, killing the animal on the spot.

The official said the leopard had been killing cows and goats in the area for last two years. He rejected the claim that the leopard had come from 35 miles away from Nizampur to Darra, and that it was the sixth wildcat having been killed. Earlier, during military operation five leopards were shot dead, but these were not reported as the army took them away.

He said there is a large population of leopards in the area.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2019