ABBOTTABAD – A rare leopard has died after a violent encounter with villagers in Abbottabad’s Boi area, sparking outrage after videos of the incident circulated online.
The leopard, which had strayed from nearby forests into a settlement in Bakoat police station limits, was already injured when locals spotted it. Witnesses say the semi-conscious animal was attacked with sticks and stones before a rope was tied around its neck and it was dragged through the streets. Some villagers even pulled it by the tail for several miles. Mobile phone videos show bystanders taking selfies and filming the cruelty.
Police from the Boi checkpoint eventually intervened and moved the leopard to their post, but it died from its injuries shortly after. The Wildlife Department later took the body for examination.
Residents accuse wild leopards of killing dozens of goats in recent months. Wildlife experts, however, believe the animal may also have been poisoned or suffering from a dangerous brain-affecting virus.
