Snow leopard seen again in Pakistan

Islamabad -  A snow leopard has been spotted after two years in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The snow leopard was seen in the forests of Chitral district.

A wildlife department official told the daily Dawn that the snow leopard hadn’t been seen in the area over the last two years and there were fears that it had become extinct.

The official added that it descends to low altitudes in search of food after heavy snow in forests and high mountains.

Ejaz Ahmad, an expert, said snow leopard lived in areas along the Hindu Kush range of mountains.

He said the leopard was declared an endangered species and its numbers later went up.

According to an estimate, there are between 200 to 420 snow leopards in Pakistan.