Leopard on Loose Captured After 36-Hour Chase in Azad Kashmir

With support from wildlife officials and local volunteers, the big cat was eventually secured and moved into an iron cage

Wed Sep 17 2025
icon-facebook icon-twitter icon-whatsapp

ISLAMABAD: A leopard that eluded capture for over 36 hours in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), was safely apprehended after a hectic chase involving local authorities and volunteers.

The big cat was first reported late Sunday night in the Sathra area of the city. Soon after, curious locals began to search for it using torches and mobile flashlights.

However, the leopard remained elusive, despite being later caught on CCTV wandering through a busy commercial district roughly a kilometre from its initial sighting.

Non-aggressive

The following morning, the leopard reappeared in the Central Plate neighbourhood, startling a woman outside her home before settling in an adjacent open plot. She described the animal as surprisingly calm and non-aggressive.

According to Dawn newspaper, authorities, including local police and wildlife officials, were deployed to track the animal, but it repeatedly evaded capture. Conflicting sightings and social media memes added to the city’s growing intrigue.

Later that day, the leopard found its way into a scrapyard owned by a local resident. His children managed to trap the animal inside a room, but it escaped through a gap, climbed onto a rooftop, and eventually became stuck in a narrow alley between buildings, where it sought shelter in a basement.

Extreme stress

Efforts to tranquilise the leopard proved difficult due to the confined space, and by Tuesday morning, the animal showed signs of extreme stress.

With support from wildlife officials and local volunteers, the leopard was eventually secured and moved into an iron cage.

The leopard was transported to a rehabilitation facility in the Chela area for observation.

icon-facebook icon-twitter icon-whatsapp