Pet leopard escapes Pakistan owner’s home, mauls six as it runs amok

Pakistan last year banned the import of exotic mammals after large numbers were brought in or bred in recent years

The trend of keeping big cats as pets has been growing among wealthy Pakistanis in recent years despite a ban on the import of exotic animals

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A pet leopard captured from a residential area, reacts inside a cage in a former zoo in Islamabad on February 17, 2023. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:14pm, 17 Feb 2023Updated: 1:28am, 18 Feb 2023

A pet leopard escaped from its wealthy owner and roamed the streets of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, for hours, mauling six people before being shot with a sedation dart, wildlife officials have said.

In videos posted to social media of the six-hour escape on Thursday, the young male cat slips between cars before knocking down a man and leaping over a garden fence.

“According to our initial investigation, it is a pet animal and not wild at all, but he is scared and is constantly roaring,” said Tariq Bangash, director of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), on Friday.

Pakistan last year banned the import of exotic mammals after large numbers were brought in or bred in recent years. Photo: AFP

It was “a unique rescue”, said IWMB spokesperson Rina Saeed Khan.

“Male leopard is in good health at IWMB’s rescue and rehab centre. [The] scientific committee will decide next steps for its rehabilitation,” the department announced on Twitter.

Pakistan last year banned the import of exotic mammals after large numbers were brought in or bred in recent years, causing problems for wildlife officials.

The trend of keeping big cats as pets has been growing among wealthy Pakistanis in recent years despite a ban on the import of exotic animals, according to environmentalist Anis Rahman.

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