After several decades, a Persian leopard has been spotted at the Nani Mandir, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site located within Hingol National Park along the Balochistan coast. The leopard, scientifically classified as panthera pardus tulliana, was captured on video by a pilgrim visiting the temple.
Sharifuddin Baloch, Balochistan’s Chief Conservator Wildlife, confirmed the sighting, stating that the individual was recorded on a cliff opposite Nani Mandir. The Persian leopard, known locally as ‘phulang,’ is native to Hingol National Park. This elusive and magnificent creature is rarely seen in the area.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), indicated that the Persian leopard was once found throughout much of Balochistan, particularly in coastal regions. However, due to hunting and a decline in food sources such as wild goats, urial goats, and chinkara gazelles, the population of this apex predator has dwindled, leading to its current endangered status.
