A leopard allegedly kept at a retired army general’s ‘private zoo’ at his home ran wild in an upscale residential area in Islamabad, injuring three people. The First Information Report (FIR) of the incident does not mention the retired general.
A video of the leopard running wild and scaling houses in the residential area went viral on social media on Thursday, leading to an hours-long effort by authorities to capture it.
The panicked leopard also injured three people while one rescue official was severely injured.
Islamabad police filed an FIR on Friday against an unknown person under sections 324 (attempt to commit murder) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
On their Twitter handle, the Islamabad police said they have registered an FIR against an unknown person as the suspect endangered the lives of citizens by ‘domesticating’ a dangerous animal.
تھانہ سہالہ کے علاقے ڈی ایچ اے فیز ٹو میں چیتے کا شہریوں پر حملہ۔
وقوعہ کا مقدمہ تھانہ سہالہ میں درج کرلیا گیا۔ مقدمہ نامعلوم ملزم کے خلاف دفعہ 324/289 ت پ کے تحت درج کیا گیا۔ چیتا کسی نامعلوم شخص نے گھر میں پالا ہوا تھا۔
1/2— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) February 17, 2023
ملزم نے خطرناک جانور رکھ کر شہریوں کی زندگی کو خطرے میں ڈالا۔ ملزم کی تلاش جاری ہے، جلد گرفتار کرکے قانونی کارروائی کی جائے گی۔
2/2#ICTP #OPS— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) February 17, 2023
Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said: “This leopard who escaped from a private zoo last night In Islamabad is alive and well at our Animal Rescue centre at the old zoo. It’s 6- hour capture op injured one of our Wildlife staff quite badly. Costs to the community and the animal could have been much higher.STOP pvt zoos”
This leopard who escaped from a private zoo last night In Islamabad is alive and well at our Animal Rescue centre at the old zoo. It’s 6- hour capture op injured one of our Wildlife staff quite badly. Costs to the community and the animal could have been much higher.STOP pvt zoos pic.twitter.com/oygcikA03y
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) February 17, 2023
Netizens also questioned why the police registered an FIR against an unknown person when the suspect has already been identified.
A social media user said: “only the Islamabad police do not know the name of the suspect, otherwise, even the suspect’s address is known to everyone else by now.”
ایک اسلام آباد پولیس کو ہی نہیں معلوم باقی سب کو حاجی صاحب کا نام ایڈریس تک معلوم ہے۔۔۔۔ ایسا مزاق کرتے ہوئے شرم بھی نہیں آتی@dcislamabad @ICT_Police #dha2 #leapord #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/SeStQCx7Dy
— Sharjeel Ahsan (@SHARJIL_AHSEN) February 17, 2023
A social media user questioned how the leopard got into the housing society despite cameras being placed everywhere.
“A retired army officer kept a #Leopard in Islamabad but despite having Safe City cameras the administration could not monitor it, it all happened with the connivance of #dha2 to which the administration has deliberately remained a silent spectatorDHA is a state within the state.”
A retired army officer kept a #Leopard in Islamabad but despite having Safe City cameras the administration could not monitor it, it all happened with the connivance of #dha2 to which the administration has deliberately remained a silent spectator
DHA is a state within the state pic.twitter.com/t8nFkrQBiS— Ammar Ahmed Abbasi (@AmmarPak3A) February 16, 2023
A social media user said: “If it’s confirmed that this #leopard escaped from a privately owned facility, then serious charges should be pressed again the owner and complete ban should be enforced on keeping big cats in private ownership.”
If it’s confirmed that this #leopard escaped from a privately owned facility, then serious charges should be pressed again the owner and complete ban should be enforced on keeping big cats in private ownership @DHA2islamabad @TRAFFIC_WLTrade #commonleopard isn’t common! pic.twitter.com/yPAHUMAbzt
— Uzma Khan (@commonleopardo) February 16, 2023
