KEY POINTS
- Javeria, a second-grade student, was dragged away and killed by a leopard while playing near her home
- Deforestation and shrinking habitats are pushing wild predators closer to human settlements, raising fears of more attacks
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: An eight-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in the Jhelum Valley district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), near the Line of Control, on July 25.
The incident has shocked the local community, highlighting the growing threat of human-wildlife conflict in the region as leopards increasingly stray into populated areas.
According to local police, the incident took place in the Pandu Nalai village of Jhelum Valley district when an ordinary day turned into a nightmare when Javeria, an 8-year-old second-grade student, became the victim of a deadly leopard attack.
The little girl, daughter of Ghulam Mustafa Awan, was playing in the courtyard of her home, a few meters distance from the Line of Control (LoC), when the predator struck her, family members said as cited by local media.
As family members rushed outside, they found nothing but silence and scattered playthings. A desperate search ensued.
For over three hours, villagers combed the fields and thick underbrush, hearts pounding with dread. Then came the discovery that would break them.
Javeria’s lifeless body was found half a kilometre away, hidden deep within the undergrowth. According to Abdul Waheed, an official at Chinari Police Station, “The leopard had bitten her neck, drained her blood, and left her there before vanishing into the forest.”
The brutal nature of the attack has shaken the village to its core. Funeral prayers for Javeria were held in Nalai on Sunday at 11am, attended by grieving relatives, neighbours, and schoolmates.
Threat in the Wild
This tragic event isn’t an isolated one. With forests shrinking and prey scarce, leopards are increasingly venturing into human settlements in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The Jhelum Valley, with its steep slopes and bordering wilderness, has seen a growing number of encounters between villagers and wild animals.
Many believe that deforestation, development, and climate-related shifts in habitat have pushed predators closer to people, especially near the LoC, where patrolled forests often go unmanaged.
