Pakistan is home to a vulnerable population of leopards, listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. However, this population faces growing threats due to habitat encroachment and widespread killings. Wildlife activist Bilal Afridi highlights that common leopards, previously spotted in regions like Tirah Valley and Dara Adam Khel, flourished after human displacement during the insurgency of 2006-2007, when forests became denser. But as people returned, conflicts arose, leading to leopards being frequently shot when they entered populated areas.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reports that around 25 common leopards were killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) over the past year alone, further endangering the species. Incidents, such as a case in Dara Adam Khel where two leopard cubs were killed and flaunted on social media, demonstrate the gravity of the problem.
Human-wildlife conflict, habitat disturbance, and poaching remain major threats to these animals. Mohammad Wasim from the WWF and IUCN explains that while the Wildlife Act 2015 requires compensation for communities that lose livestock to leopards, enforcement is rare, especially after the 2018 FATA-K-P merger. Legal protections for leopards, such as fines and prison terms for killing them, are considered lenient, and enforcement is weak.
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Dr. Uzma Khan, a wildlife conservation specialist, emphasizes that leopards need large, protected habitats to survive—each requiring about 100 square kilometers. Unfortunately, even in protected areas like Ayubia National Park, habitat encroachment threatens their survival. Expanding protected areas and improving conservation efforts, including data collection on leopard populations, is crucial to ensuring their future in Pakistan.
In short, without strong conservation efforts and better protection, Pakistan’s leopard population is at serious risk, and future generations may only encounter these majestic creatures in documentaries or textbooks.
