Big cat spotted by visitors in Margalla Hills

Islamabad: A big cat has been spotted by the visitors in the Margallah Hills that can give a new ray of hope to the conservationists that this rare species is still residing somewhere in this area despite grave damages to its natural habitat.

Arif Hussain, a visitor, said he and his two guests were returning back at nearly 10 pm from a hotel some 8 kilometers away from Pir Sohawa when they saw a big cat jumping down the road.

“We clearly saw the image of a big cat that was perhaps present on the top of the road. It never scared us but instead we were really happy to have a glimpse of this rare species,” he said.

According to the conservationists, the Margallah Hills cat is so elusive and secretive that very few people find a chance to catch a fleeting view of it in the wilderness. Sajid Iqbal, a conservationist, said the big cats or tigers usually descend to the Margallah Hills in the winters from Galyat and Nathiagali and when the temperature starts increasing they return back to their original habitat.

“This is the time for big cats to move back to Galyat and Nathiagali so many people may spot them on various locations,” he said. He said the big cats have not totally disappeared from the Margallah Hills but it is believed that many of them now find it better to move towards comparatively thicker vegetative cover to live in serene environment.