ISLAMABAD – Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has warned hikers not to visit Margalla Hills after dusk as five leopards roaming around the hills have been spotted in hidden cameras.
The board chairperson Rina Saeed said the gate to Trail 4 would be closed in the evening and a gate to Trail 6 would be installed in the coming days.
According to the officials, a female leopard named ‘Shehzadi’ was captured around trails 4 and 6 on Sunday night. Five different leopards have been spotted in Margalla Hills National Park since 2019.
This beauty we call shezadi.common leopard sppoted by camera traps in margalla hills national park .IWMB front line field staff observed her movement on daily basis .@WildlifeBoard @WWF #Pakistan #MargallahHills. pic.twitter.com/SqGfZrkacf
— Malik Ali Raza (@AnchorMalik1) February 2, 2021
The officials added that the Margalla Hills are a lasting habitat for the leopards. These four-legged carnivores have adapted to the surroundings and do not come out in day time.
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The officials added that the leopards only attack in self-defence. The common leopard, Panthera pardus, is a critically endangered specie, and a top predator of the hills.
