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CHITRAL: Fear and panic gripped the residents of Gabor Bakh village in the Garam Chashma area of Lower Chitral district following the killing 33 head of cattle in a predatory attack early on Monday.
The incident occurred as a wild animal, suspected to be a snow leopard, entered a livestock pen of resident Abdul Majid. Local sources said the surge in wildlife movement near residential areas and cattle pens has become a serious threat to the community.
“Livestock was my sole source of livelihood, so everything was destroyed in a single night,” Mr Majid said.
He urged the provincial government to provide him with immediate financial assistance and compensation.
Local elders expressed concerns over the increasing livestock attacks by predators in the valleys and demanded that the wildlife department immediately survey the affected area and take steps to trap or relocate the leopard to a safer habitat.
They warned that without timely intervention, human lives could soon be at risk.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Garam Chashma village council Allauddin Haideri called for the installation of protective fencing and better lighting around cattle pens to prevent attacks.
He regretted that there was no compensation for the farmers who lost their livestock to predators.
“This is a sheer injustice with the livestock owners who depend on animals as a major of their sustenance,” he said. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Wildlife Division Faruq Nabi confirmed the incident and said that the predator killed 11 goats and 22 sheep.
He said that the wildlife field staff were verifying the losses and monitoring the predator’s movement to check attacks.
“Due to the recurring intense cold in the high peaks, predators tend to descend to lower altitudes in search of food,” he told Dawn.
The DFO said such incidents had increased over the last several weeks in various parts of Chitral.
He added that a formal report had been sent to higher authorities to secure compensation for the affected farmer.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026
