A leopardess rescued from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)’s Haveli District died amid rehabilitation efforts of as a hunter’s shot had hit too close to her heart, proving fatal. The AJK Wildlife Department had rescued a severely injured leopardess that was hit by gunshots severely impacting her spinal cord, whereas her rear paws were also damaged, rendering her unable to stand or walk properly.
The leopardess had been hit with a 12-bore shotgun shot from a close distance with an SG or LG Cartridge. The medical experts successfully removed a shot from the body of the leopardess, whereas three more bullets or slugs in the body caused her death. One shot hit her near the heart and the other near the spinal cord.
The veterinarians also expressed concern for the leopardess as the vet had already indicated minimal chances of recovery.
The AJK Wildlife Department has initiated legal action against the accused.
The body of the leopard was transferred to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History in consultation with the Department to preserve the leopard’s taxidermy for research and education purposes. Only those wild animals’ taxidermy was carried out that were considered important for research and education purposes whereas those with the risks of communicable or viral diseases were buried.