IWMB’s team returns, fails to find leopard cubs

Islamabad : A team of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has come back to Islamabad without finding the cubs of the dead leopardess after a thorough search for the last few days in Muzaffarabad.

According to the details, the team members found pugmarks of the cubs at different locations but despite consistent efforts, they failed to get hands-on with them for their protection against predators and poachers.

They placed camera traps at various points in and around the villages where pugmarks were found during the search.

One of the camera traps captured some images but it was not clear whether it was a cub or any other wild animal.

The team members gave a briefing to officials of the AJK Wildlife Department about technical aspects of the search for the missing cubs. The wildlife experts have opined that the cubs may have gone up to the mountains to take refuge. If this is the case then they would stay there for quite some time and return back at the advent of the summer season.

The IWMB chairperson said the staff members have returned back from Muzaffarabad and now the AJK Wildlife Department would continue searching for the cubs.

“It is good to know that leopard cubs are alive but hiding somewhere. However, the IWMB team has trained the staff members of the AJK wildlife department on leopard tracking and also raised awareness among the local people for the protection of wildlife animals,” she said.

She said “The camera trap has captured the footage of probable leopard cub last night in forests of AJK. It has been shared with the AJK wildlife department that would deploy guards in the area.”

Meanwhile, the AJK Wildlife Department saved a life of a leopard that was spotted by the villagers in Pinjal area in Kotli.

According to the AJK Wildlife Department, the jungle adjoining the Pinjal area is a habitat of big cats and sometimes tigers and leopards appear in the buffer zone between human settlements and the habitat due to various reasons.