The leopard tore the body of Mohammad Dawood into pieces and went back to mountainous forest.—Photo by AP

MANSEHRA A wild hungry cat, leopard, killed a man here on Thursday evening, locals reported.

The incident occurred in Karang area of Jabory when Mohammad Dawood, 40, was going to purchase essential items from a nearby shop. The leopard had come down from the Shaheed Pani forests.

'The animal tore the body of the man into pieces and went back to mountainous forest,' a local said, adding that after the incident, the residents were feeling insecure in the area and they did not send their children to schools fearing more attacks.
 
Following the incident, people took to streets and staged a protest demonstration against the Wildlife Department. They demanded of government to provide them security and confine the wild animals to the forests. They also demanded compensation for the family of the victim.
 
Mohammad Arshed, an official of the Wildlife Department, confirmed the death and told this scribe that they had launched an inquiry into the incident. He said that three pairs of leopards had been found in the Shaheed Pani forests, some 50km northeast of Mansehra.

Mr Arshed claimed that the leopards in the area were nocturnal species and they don't move during daytime, and the deadly incident had occurred late in the evening. He said the case would be referred to NGOs, working in the field of biodiversity, for compensation to the family of the victim.