Residents of the National Police Foundation Housing Society O-9 in Islamabad were thrown into a wave of anxiety after reports surfaced about a potential sighting of a lion, leopard, or wildcat wandering in their neighborhood. The alarming claims prompted the society’s administration to immediately seek help from the Islamabad Wildlife Department to verify the threat and ensure residents’ safety.
According to initial reports, private security guards on duty claimed they had spotted a large animal resembling a big cat during nighttime patrols near vacant plots in Block C, particularly around Streets 2 and 3. The guards reported seeing the animal on two consecutive nights, raising fears of a dangerous predator lurking in the area.
Acting on the alert, wildlife teams, along with society staff, carried out an extensive search of the entire locality. After combing through the suspected sites, they confirmed that no evidence suggested the presence of a lion, leopard, or any other wildcat. To further rule out possibilities, officials contacted Lohi Bher Wildlife Park, which confirmed that none of its animals were missing.
Deputy Director of Islamabad Wildlife Department, Sakhawat Ali, explained that the team conducted the operation with full SOPs and professional equipment. They discovered only paw prints consistent with dogs. He clarified that unlike dogs, paw impressions of big cats do not display claw marks, which further proved the absence of any wildcat.
Nevertheless, the society administration initiated a large-scale clearance operation across the housing scheme. Workers began removing thick bushes, tall wild grass, and overgrown shrubs from vacant plots, greenbelts, and open spaces in order to minimize any risk of concealment for stray or wild animals.
While some paw-like impressions were found, their source could not be conclusively identified. Residents remain divided: some believe the reports may have been a false alarm, while others speculate the animal could have entered with recent floodwaters or possibly escaped from illegal private captivity.
