Snow leopard attacks livestock corral in Upper Chitral, kills six goats of poor villager

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2022-01-01T02:06:16+05:00 Our Staff Reporter

PESHAWAR - A hungry snow leopard descended from icy alpine region to a village in Mastooj area of Upper Chiltral on Wednesday night and killed six goats after attack­ing a livestock corral of a poor villager. According to details, the livestock corral belonged to Syed Anwar son of Abu Saeed Khan from village Chinar of Mas­tooj Tehsil. The rare wild specie attacked the home during midnight and went on killing spree to satiate his hunger. Syed Anwar claimed that this is second attack of snow leopard on his domesticated animals in a period of one year. In the earlier attack, the feline had mauled nine goats, he went on to say while talk­ing with APP correspondent in Chitral. He also com­plained that no compensation has been made to him by Wildlife Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and demanded payment for all the losses he faced due to attack of wild animals. Syed Anwar said villagers are following instruction of Wildlife Department of not killing wild animals in retaliation over predator attack on livestock, but no help in extended from the department to affected people. After the previous at­tack, a written complaint was submitted in the office of Range Officer of Wildlife Department in Mastooj area but to no avail. The officer had visited his home, took pictures of pug marks and sent to head office in Peshawar, he continued. Syed Anwar said a delega­tion of villagers also met with District Forest Officer, Iltaf Ahmad in connection with payment of compen­sation. The official told villagers that due to lack of Village Conservation Committee in their respective area, compensation claim cannot be accepted or entertained, Syed Anwar added. Meanwhile, the af­fected villager has requested KP Chief Minister Mah­mood Khan to take notice of incident and direct the concerned staff of Wildlife Department to make pay­ment of compensation to him. He said livestock is the whole asset of villagers in such a rugged terrain of Upper Chitral and in case of killing of animals by wild species, they have nothing to feed their children and make a living.

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