ISLAMABAD: An injured female leopard is in critical condition after being rescued from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) recently, according to theIslamabad Wildlife Management Board's (IWMB) rescue centre.
The injured leopard was rescuedfrom a water channel in AJK's Haveli area by wildlife guards from the Azad Kashmir Wildlife Department on September 7.
It was then handed her over to the IWMB for treatment at the board's rescue center, called the Islamabad Wildlife Rescue Center (IWRC).
After examining the wild cat's X-ray report, doctors at the IWRC discovered four bullet wounds in the leopard's body.
The doctors at the rescue center have so far managed to extract one bullet from the leopard's wounds, with two of the remaining bullets stuck near the leopard's spine and one near the chest.
However, the condition of the injured female leopard recently began to deteriorate.
At the time of the leopard's rescue, the animal was unableto stand or move its hindlegs despite exhibiting no visible external wounds or bleeding, leading theteam to suspect severe internal injuries.
The rescue team had managed to secure the startled animal by placing a rope around its neck and then safely encaging it in a net.
The rescue team was forced to use traditional methods to rescue the animal due to a lack of specialised equipment, such as a dart gun.