MUZAFFARABAD, July 27, 2025: A leopard killed an 8-year-old girl and injured a 17-year-old boy in two separate incidents in the Jhelum Valley district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), triggering fear and outrage in the region.
On July 25, the leopard attacked young Javeria while she was playing outside her home in Pandu Nalai village. The wild cat dragged her into nearby bushes. Villagers later discovered her body about half a kilometer away, bearing fatal neck wounds.
Less than a day later, the same leopard struck again in Nalai Dabra’n, a neighboring village. The animal attacked Mudassir Ali Awan, 17, as he returned home from Javeria’s funeral. Alert villagers heard his screams and rushed to his aid, managing to scare the leopard away. The teenager sustained minor injuries and was treated at a local health center.
Local residents say they had warned authorities about leopard sightings days earlier, but wildlife officials failed to respond. The lack of preventive action has sparked anger among the affected communities.