Darth Vader
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my grandmother or as i call her ama has few of these in pak
Wildlife of Pakistan
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IrbiS
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Extinction: Minister pledges to protect snow leopard
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 28, 2015
“We will make all-out efforts with conservationists and wildlife experts to save the snow leopard from extinction”. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan has pledged to protect snow leopard which is on the verge of extinction owing to illegal hunting and threats it its habitat.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said that conservationists and wildlife experts will be brought on a single platform to use their expertise for conservation and protection of snow leopard.
The minister said that habitat degradation, reduction of natural prey due to illegal hunting, retribution killing for livestock loss were among major threats that have brought the cat to near extinction.
“We will make all-out efforts with conservationists and wildlife experts to save the snow leopard from extinction”.
“The population of the wild cat is fast shrinking due to various threats, it is necessary to take immediate decisions on conservation of snow leopards,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2015.
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 28, 2015
“We will make all-out efforts with conservationists and wildlife experts to save the snow leopard from extinction”. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan has pledged to protect snow leopard which is on the verge of extinction owing to illegal hunting and threats it its habitat.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said that conservationists and wildlife experts will be brought on a single platform to use their expertise for conservation and protection of snow leopard.
The minister said that habitat degradation, reduction of natural prey due to illegal hunting, retribution killing for livestock loss were among major threats that have brought the cat to near extinction.
“We will make all-out efforts with conservationists and wildlife experts to save the snow leopard from extinction”.
“The population of the wild cat is fast shrinking due to various threats, it is necessary to take immediate decisions on conservation of snow leopards,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2015.
IrbiS
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Avoiding theft: Security demanded for wildlife park
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 29, 2015
PHOTO: WWF Pakistan
LAKKI MARWAT: Authorities in Lakki Marwat have been urged to increase security at the wildlife park constructed in Manjiwala area on the Indus Highway.
Crane Conservation Center and Wildlife Park, Lakki Marwat was established over 225 kanals of land situated along the Indus Highway. The park houses precious birds and animals including deer, peacocks, cranes and ducks, offering a refreshing excursion for people of the district.
The boundary wall, however, is so low even a minor can scale it. Hence, several incidents of theft have been reported. Some time ago, unidentified thieves tied the watchman of the park up and stole three birds.
The case was registered and the accused were later caught. Police also recovered feathers of the birds from their houses. The accused were subsequently released on bail and the case is still pending in court.
Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Abdul Haleem Marwat said proposals from the improvement of the wildlife park have been sent to the government. He added a solar system should also be installed so that availability of water and light can be ensured at the premises.
Marwat said Rs80 million was earlier approved for the development of the park, but the amount was later revised to Rs18 million. “The government should provide resources to erect a shed and other structures for parking of vehicles and sitting area for visitors.”
The DFO said the boundary wall was six to seven feet high, but present circumstances warranted a higher wall and installation of a fence. “We need light at night to avoid theft and robberies in the future.”
The DFO said there are only five regular staffers at the park while five others are kept on daily wages for the park’s upkeep.
He said they needed 20 to 25 workers for proper maintenance. Marwat added a PC-1 mentioning all the requirements needed for the development and improvement of the park has been prepared.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2015.
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 29, 2015
PHOTO: WWF Pakistan
LAKKI MARWAT: Authorities in Lakki Marwat have been urged to increase security at the wildlife park constructed in Manjiwala area on the Indus Highway.
Crane Conservation Center and Wildlife Park, Lakki Marwat was established over 225 kanals of land situated along the Indus Highway. The park houses precious birds and animals including deer, peacocks, cranes and ducks, offering a refreshing excursion for people of the district.
The boundary wall, however, is so low even a minor can scale it. Hence, several incidents of theft have been reported. Some time ago, unidentified thieves tied the watchman of the park up and stole three birds.
The case was registered and the accused were later caught. Police also recovered feathers of the birds from their houses. The accused were subsequently released on bail and the case is still pending in court.
Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Abdul Haleem Marwat said proposals from the improvement of the wildlife park have been sent to the government. He added a solar system should also be installed so that availability of water and light can be ensured at the premises.
Marwat said Rs80 million was earlier approved for the development of the park, but the amount was later revised to Rs18 million. “The government should provide resources to erect a shed and other structures for parking of vehicles and sitting area for visitors.”
The DFO said the boundary wall was six to seven feet high, but present circumstances warranted a higher wall and installation of a fence. “We need light at night to avoid theft and robberies in the future.”
The DFO said there are only five regular staffers at the park while five others are kept on daily wages for the park’s upkeep.
He said they needed 20 to 25 workers for proper maintenance. Marwat added a PC-1 mentioning all the requirements needed for the development and improvement of the park has been prepared.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2015.
IrbiS
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WILD CATS OF PAKISTAN
Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
The thing is, there've been no sightings of Cheetahs in recent years in Pakistan, none that I know about. It's Critically Endangered Species and Iran is it's last home if they aren't here anymore and gone extinct in India long ago ( I'm not aware of their re-introduction project these days ). I hope they show up here otherwise, We messed up!
Snow Leopard / Barfaani Teendwa (Panthera uncia)
Leopard / Teendwa / Gul-dar (Panthera pardus)
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
Continued.........
Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
The thing is, there've been no sightings of Cheetahs in recent years in Pakistan, none that I know about. It's Critically Endangered Species and Iran is it's last home if they aren't here anymore and gone extinct in India long ago ( I'm not aware of their re-introduction project these days ). I hope they show up here otherwise, We messed up!
Snow Leopard / Barfaani Teendwa (Panthera uncia)
Leopard / Teendwa / Gul-dar (Panthera pardus)
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
Continued.........
IrbiS
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Pakistani Sand Cat / Persian:Gorbeh Sheni (Felis margarita Scheffeli)
Leopard Cat / Chita Billi (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Asiatic Wildcat / Indian Desert Cat (Felis Silvestris Ornata)
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Leopard Cat / Chita Billi (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Asiatic Wildcat / Indian Desert Cat (Felis Silvestris Ornata)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurlang
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Chitral’s markhor population now out of danger
“The untimely death of the four-year-old markhor is not less than a shock for us and we do mourn this as it means a loss of Rs10 million for the local community who devotedly strive for its conservation,” said Fazlur Rahman, the president of a conservancy, in Chitral.
Tears were visible in his eyes due to grief as the markhor had died of an ailment after they rescued it from an inaccessible cliff in the local pasture and took it to the veterinary hospital. It all happened about a month ago and around a 100 community workers had also reached the hospital to get firsthand knowledge about treatment and convalescing of the markhor.
All this activism of the villagers to save the wild goat was due to the fact that they owned it and this sense of ownership had been inculcated in them by the wildlife department by giving them 80 per cent of the income obtained from the trophy hunting.
It is due to the strong bonds of community-based conservation that the impressive animal with iconic corkscrew horns known as Kashmir markhor is no more an endangered species in Chitral. The phenomenal population growth of markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, can be attributed to the community-based conservation strategy which has proved fruitful in the upkeep of other endangered and rare wildlife species.
The population of markhor had dropped to less than a hundred in Chitral in 1980s and it faced annihilation due to the unchecked poaching despite the presence of a full-fledged department for its preservation. Divisional forest officer of wildlife, Chitral, Imtiaz Hussain recalls that in Chitral the number of markhor did not cross the figure of 100 during 80s when he carried out the survey of the animal and it had filled the conservationists with the apprehension of its extinction.
No effort proved productive to check poaching of markhor which had started in 1970s with the introduction of automatic rifles in large number as the purchasing power of the people of Chitral had greatly enhanced after it was merged with the country as its district. Before that it was a princely state and the area was hit by poverty due to the limited sources of earning. Today, the area embracing the southern part of Chitral – from Arandu to Shoghore along Lot Koh river and up to Koghuzi along the Mastuj river – is teeming with 3,400 heads of Kashmir markhor. Mr Hussain says that it is no more an endangered species in the context of Chitral though it had been declared so by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1975. Associated with the department of wildlife for the last four decades in the district, Mr Hussain says that the changed stratagem for conservation of markhor worked well in early 1990s due to which the hunters became the guards and this was the crux of conservation policy.
As per community-based conservation programme put in place by the department of wildlife, the villages supporting the population of markhor were organised into village conservation committees (VCCs). Each VCC was a statutory body which was incorporated in the Wildlife Act whose office-bearers were chosen by the villagers themselves and they had a defined role in the conservation process with financial powers vested in them. The diversion of 80 per cent permit fee of trophy hunting of markhor to the VCCs acted as catalyst which they utilised for their collective development on their own free will.
Regarding the conservation programme, Mr Hussain said that the markhor supporting area was divided into two conservancies named as Gahirait-Golen Conservancy (9,500 hactares) and Toshi-Shasha Conservancy (20,000 hactares) apart from Chitral Gol National Park(CGNP – 77.5 square km). Each of the two conservancies has 12 VCCs whose activists act as arteries in the conservation of markhor and other wildlife species. He put the collective savings of the two conservancies to date at Rs85 million which were utilised through their elected bodies.
Giving breakup of the markhor population in the conservancies, he said that according to latest counting survey it was 1,349 markhors in Toshi-Shasha and 434 in Gahirait-Golen conservancy. The number of markhors in areas other than the two conservancies was 27 in Arsoon, 28 in Sheshi Koh valley and six in Drosh Gol bringing the total to 1,844 while CGNP supported a population of 1,556 and thus raising the total of markhor population to 3,400 in the district.
Every year three markhors of the age beyond eight years are put on auction for trophy hunting in the two conservancies of which two are carried out in Toshi-Shasha due to its large population and one in Gahirait-Golen, Mr Hussain said. “It is heartening to observe that the population of markhor in the conservancies is on steep rise and it will have pleasant effect on carnivores as well which depends on it,” he said.
The DFO of CGNP, Mohammad Buzurg, said that the park was established in 1983 and it was given the status of wildlife division in 2010 while community’s support is being enlisted by 13 VCCs. Though no trophy hunting is carried out in the national park, the VCCs are strengthened financially through national park project funds granted by the World Bank previously. They enjoyed the same economic attractions as that of the VCCs managed by the wildlife department, Mr. Buzurg said, adding that the peculiarity of the park is its highest density of markhor population.
Ejaz Ahmed, a local ecologist, said that markhor was the main prey item of important carnivores, including snow leopard, black bear and Himalayan wolf. Conservation of markhor means the safe population of snow leopard, he said, adding as long as Chitral had a rich markhor population, the gigantic snow leopard would be seen roaming here. He said that the community was working on several fronts to conserve the markhor, including stopping its habitat destruction and checking poaching.
Mr Ahmed called for increasing the number of trophy hunting permits as the income from the present number of three per year was not enough to cater to the needs of the growing population. The greater amount of revenue will increase the interest and devotion of the community workers, he said and suggested that trophy hunting should also be started in the buffer zones of CGNP.
Asked about increasing the number of hunting trophies, chief conservator of wildlife, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mubarak Ali Shah affirmed its need. He, however, told Dawn that the number of trophies were determined by the regime of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which had allowed hunting of four markhors in a year of which three were given to Chitral every year. Mr Shah said that the department had taken up the case of enhancing the number of hunting trophies with the relevant quarters already.
He said that trophy hunting could be carried out safely in areas embracing the buffer zones of CNGP where a large population of markhor existed. He commended the active participation of community in conservation of markhor in Chitral.
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2015
“The untimely death of the four-year-old markhor is not less than a shock for us and we do mourn this as it means a loss of Rs10 million for the local community who devotedly strive for its conservation,” said Fazlur Rahman, the president of a conservancy, in Chitral.
Tears were visible in his eyes due to grief as the markhor had died of an ailment after they rescued it from an inaccessible cliff in the local pasture and took it to the veterinary hospital. It all happened about a month ago and around a 100 community workers had also reached the hospital to get firsthand knowledge about treatment and convalescing of the markhor.
All this activism of the villagers to save the wild goat was due to the fact that they owned it and this sense of ownership had been inculcated in them by the wildlife department by giving them 80 per cent of the income obtained from the trophy hunting.
It is due to the strong bonds of community-based conservation that the impressive animal with iconic corkscrew horns known as Kashmir markhor is no more an endangered species in Chitral. The phenomenal population growth of markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, can be attributed to the community-based conservation strategy which has proved fruitful in the upkeep of other endangered and rare wildlife species.
The population of markhor had dropped to less than a hundred in Chitral in 1980s and it faced annihilation due to the unchecked poaching despite the presence of a full-fledged department for its preservation. Divisional forest officer of wildlife, Chitral, Imtiaz Hussain recalls that in Chitral the number of markhor did not cross the figure of 100 during 80s when he carried out the survey of the animal and it had filled the conservationists with the apprehension of its extinction.
No effort proved productive to check poaching of markhor which had started in 1970s with the introduction of automatic rifles in large number as the purchasing power of the people of Chitral had greatly enhanced after it was merged with the country as its district. Before that it was a princely state and the area was hit by poverty due to the limited sources of earning. Today, the area embracing the southern part of Chitral – from Arandu to Shoghore along Lot Koh river and up to Koghuzi along the Mastuj river – is teeming with 3,400 heads of Kashmir markhor. Mr Hussain says that it is no more an endangered species in the context of Chitral though it had been declared so by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1975. Associated with the department of wildlife for the last four decades in the district, Mr Hussain says that the changed stratagem for conservation of markhor worked well in early 1990s due to which the hunters became the guards and this was the crux of conservation policy.
As per community-based conservation programme put in place by the department of wildlife, the villages supporting the population of markhor were organised into village conservation committees (VCCs). Each VCC was a statutory body which was incorporated in the Wildlife Act whose office-bearers were chosen by the villagers themselves and they had a defined role in the conservation process with financial powers vested in them. The diversion of 80 per cent permit fee of trophy hunting of markhor to the VCCs acted as catalyst which they utilised for their collective development on their own free will.
Regarding the conservation programme, Mr Hussain said that the markhor supporting area was divided into two conservancies named as Gahirait-Golen Conservancy (9,500 hactares) and Toshi-Shasha Conservancy (20,000 hactares) apart from Chitral Gol National Park(CGNP – 77.5 square km). Each of the two conservancies has 12 VCCs whose activists act as arteries in the conservation of markhor and other wildlife species. He put the collective savings of the two conservancies to date at Rs85 million which were utilised through their elected bodies.
Giving breakup of the markhor population in the conservancies, he said that according to latest counting survey it was 1,349 markhors in Toshi-Shasha and 434 in Gahirait-Golen conservancy. The number of markhors in areas other than the two conservancies was 27 in Arsoon, 28 in Sheshi Koh valley and six in Drosh Gol bringing the total to 1,844 while CGNP supported a population of 1,556 and thus raising the total of markhor population to 3,400 in the district.
Every year three markhors of the age beyond eight years are put on auction for trophy hunting in the two conservancies of which two are carried out in Toshi-Shasha due to its large population and one in Gahirait-Golen, Mr Hussain said. “It is heartening to observe that the population of markhor in the conservancies is on steep rise and it will have pleasant effect on carnivores as well which depends on it,” he said.
The DFO of CGNP, Mohammad Buzurg, said that the park was established in 1983 and it was given the status of wildlife division in 2010 while community’s support is being enlisted by 13 VCCs. Though no trophy hunting is carried out in the national park, the VCCs are strengthened financially through national park project funds granted by the World Bank previously. They enjoyed the same economic attractions as that of the VCCs managed by the wildlife department, Mr. Buzurg said, adding that the peculiarity of the park is its highest density of markhor population.
Ejaz Ahmed, a local ecologist, said that markhor was the main prey item of important carnivores, including snow leopard, black bear and Himalayan wolf. Conservation of markhor means the safe population of snow leopard, he said, adding as long as Chitral had a rich markhor population, the gigantic snow leopard would be seen roaming here. He said that the community was working on several fronts to conserve the markhor, including stopping its habitat destruction and checking poaching.
Mr Ahmed called for increasing the number of trophy hunting permits as the income from the present number of three per year was not enough to cater to the needs of the growing population. The greater amount of revenue will increase the interest and devotion of the community workers, he said and suggested that trophy hunting should also be started in the buffer zones of CGNP.
Asked about increasing the number of hunting trophies, chief conservator of wildlife, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mubarak Ali Shah affirmed its need. He, however, told Dawn that the number of trophies were determined by the regime of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which had allowed hunting of four markhors in a year of which three were given to Chitral every year. Mr Shah said that the department had taken up the case of enhancing the number of hunting trophies with the relevant quarters already.
He said that trophy hunting could be carried out safely in areas embracing the buffer zones of CNGP where a large population of markhor existed. He commended the active participation of community in conservation of markhor in Chitral.
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2015
IrbiS
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Bustard or bust: K-P government reaffirms stance against poaching
By Umer Farooq
Published: March 29, 2015
Princes of Gulf States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are enthusiastic hunters and travel to Pakistan every year to hunt the endangered houbara bustard. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Soon after fining a Qatari prince for hunting with falcons, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has stepped up its efforts to protect rare species of the province. New rules have been devised for foreigners traveling to the region for their hunting fix.
“Hunting/caging wildlife (both birds and animals) is not allowed without a proper permit duly issued by the chief conservator of wildlife/forests,” read an official document of the home department, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.
Officials said foreigners, specifically from the gulf countries, were visiting parts of K-P and hunting illegally. They claimed rare species were being driven to the point of extinction by the Arab royalty.
“No one could stop or question their hunting activities in the past as they were accompanied by people from the federal government,” said a government official, requesting anonymity. The official added he could not speak for the other provinces, but added clear directives had been issued by the K-P government to put an end to illegal hunting.
He said the provincial government has circulated additional directions to the relevant officials and afforded them an open hand when dealing with those violating the law. Adviser to K-P Chief Minister on Environment Ishtiaq Urmar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
On March 10, the K-P Ministry of Environment fined a Qatari prince Rs80,000 after he was caught hunting with three falcons in DI Khan.
Princes of Gulf States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are enthusiastic hunters and travel to Pakistan every year to hunt the endangered houbara bustard. The bird’s dwindling numbers has sparked a furor among wildlife conservationists and government officials, while also mildly testing the close bond between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Hunting of the houbara bustard is banned under the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) of Flora & Fauna. On a local level, hunting the rare species is also barred by the government under Martial Law Order 292, which has been protected by the Constitution.
Earlier in the year, the K-P government declined the Foreign Ministry’s request to relax rules on the hunting of the houbara bustard and the law pertaining to the use of falcons. The request was once again aimed at facilitating the Middle-Eastern royalty. “We believe that no one is above the law,” K-P Green Growth Initiative Chairman and former state minister for environment Malik Mian Aslam asserted at the time.
The bird is also hunted in the thousands by Royal princes in the forest and wildlife reserve areas of Chagai and Dalbandin in Balochistan as well as Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and DG Khan in Punjab. Last year, Saudi Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz led a hunting party to Balochistan that killed more than 2,000 bustards.
Though hunting the houbara bustard is banned, authorities issue special permits to the wealthy Arabs. According to the rules, permit holders can hunt up to a maximum of 100 of endangered species over a period of 10 days and that too in specified areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2015.
By Umer Farooq
Published: March 29, 2015
Princes of Gulf States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are enthusiastic hunters and travel to Pakistan every year to hunt the endangered houbara bustard. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Soon after fining a Qatari prince for hunting with falcons, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has stepped up its efforts to protect rare species of the province. New rules have been devised for foreigners traveling to the region for their hunting fix.
“Hunting/caging wildlife (both birds and animals) is not allowed without a proper permit duly issued by the chief conservator of wildlife/forests,” read an official document of the home department, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.
Officials said foreigners, specifically from the gulf countries, were visiting parts of K-P and hunting illegally. They claimed rare species were being driven to the point of extinction by the Arab royalty.
“No one could stop or question their hunting activities in the past as they were accompanied by people from the federal government,” said a government official, requesting anonymity. The official added he could not speak for the other provinces, but added clear directives had been issued by the K-P government to put an end to illegal hunting.
He said the provincial government has circulated additional directions to the relevant officials and afforded them an open hand when dealing with those violating the law. Adviser to K-P Chief Minister on Environment Ishtiaq Urmar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
On March 10, the K-P Ministry of Environment fined a Qatari prince Rs80,000 after he was caught hunting with three falcons in DI Khan.
Princes of Gulf States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are enthusiastic hunters and travel to Pakistan every year to hunt the endangered houbara bustard. The bird’s dwindling numbers has sparked a furor among wildlife conservationists and government officials, while also mildly testing the close bond between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Hunting of the houbara bustard is banned under the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) of Flora & Fauna. On a local level, hunting the rare species is also barred by the government under Martial Law Order 292, which has been protected by the Constitution.
Earlier in the year, the K-P government declined the Foreign Ministry’s request to relax rules on the hunting of the houbara bustard and the law pertaining to the use of falcons. The request was once again aimed at facilitating the Middle-Eastern royalty. “We believe that no one is above the law,” K-P Green Growth Initiative Chairman and former state minister for environment Malik Mian Aslam asserted at the time.
The bird is also hunted in the thousands by Royal princes in the forest and wildlife reserve areas of Chagai and Dalbandin in Balochistan as well as Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and DG Khan in Punjab. Last year, Saudi Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz led a hunting party to Balochistan that killed more than 2,000 bustards.
Though hunting the houbara bustard is banned, authorities issue special permits to the wealthy Arabs. According to the rules, permit holders can hunt up to a maximum of 100 of endangered species over a period of 10 days and that too in specified areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2015.
IrbiS
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Rare find: Polka-dot ribbonfish caught off Charna Island
By Sameer Mandhro
Published: April 2, 2015
Fishermen caught a rare marine species, a polka-dot ribbonfish, measuring 32 inches with flashing red fins and faint polka dots all over the body, off Charna Island on Wednesday. PHOTO: COURTESY WWF-P
KARACHI: A rare marine species known as polka-dot ribbonfish was caught off Charna Island by some local fishermen on Wednesday.
The fish, scientifically known as desmodema polystictum, was spotted in Murray Ridge after the last sighting nearly five years ago. This is the first time the fish was caught in a fisherman’s gillnet as it is usually found in deep, circumtropical waters.
The fisherman, Nakhuda Nisar Hussain, has been trained by the World Wide Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) to make sure they do not harm endangered species. He was working in the area where the water was at least 1,034 metres deep when he caught the specimen. The fish measured 32 inches with flashing red fins and faint polka dots all over the body. After taking photos of the ribbonfish, he released it back into the water.
Hussain claimed he had never seen this rare fish before. The training on the importance of rare species has helped rescue many non-target species which previously used to be discarded, he said. Now they are being safely released.
“This fish normally lives at depths of hundreds of metres but is occasionally seen in shallow waters,” said Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a marine fisheries technical adviser with the WWF-P. “The addition of the polka-dot ribbonfish is a significant addition to the marine fauna of Pakistan.”
Khan told The Express Tribune that this kind of ribbonfish are not found everywhere across the globe. “It is first time in Pakistan that fisherman caught it and fortunately it was released safely back into the water,” he said.
The maximum weight of this rare fish was not more than one kilogramme, he added. This species is an inhabitant of the mesopelagic zone of Pakistan and feeds on lantern fishes, squids and crustaceans. This occurrence also indicates the rich marine biodiversity that exists in the offshore and coastal areas of Pakistan, he added.
According to the WWF-P officials, a polka-dot ribbonfish was previously spotted in the Northern Arabian Sea on two occasions. The occurrence was recorded by French scientist M L Bauchot and Norwegian scientist Gabriella Bianchi in 1994.
In 2010, another specimen was caught during a research survey carried out by Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Norwegian research vessel, Dr R V Fridtjof Nansen, in the offshore waters of Pakistan.
In the last eight months, the fishermen have released 15 whale sharks, three manta rays, two sunfish and one Longman’s beaked whale along with hundreds of olive Ridley and green turtles.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2015.
By Sameer Mandhro
Published: April 2, 2015
Fishermen caught a rare marine species, a polka-dot ribbonfish, measuring 32 inches with flashing red fins and faint polka dots all over the body, off Charna Island on Wednesday. PHOTO: COURTESY WWF-P
KARACHI: A rare marine species known as polka-dot ribbonfish was caught off Charna Island by some local fishermen on Wednesday.
The fish, scientifically known as desmodema polystictum, was spotted in Murray Ridge after the last sighting nearly five years ago. This is the first time the fish was caught in a fisherman’s gillnet as it is usually found in deep, circumtropical waters.
The fisherman, Nakhuda Nisar Hussain, has been trained by the World Wide Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) to make sure they do not harm endangered species. He was working in the area where the water was at least 1,034 metres deep when he caught the specimen. The fish measured 32 inches with flashing red fins and faint polka dots all over the body. After taking photos of the ribbonfish, he released it back into the water.
Hussain claimed he had never seen this rare fish before. The training on the importance of rare species has helped rescue many non-target species which previously used to be discarded, he said. Now they are being safely released.
“This fish normally lives at depths of hundreds of metres but is occasionally seen in shallow waters,” said Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a marine fisheries technical adviser with the WWF-P. “The addition of the polka-dot ribbonfish is a significant addition to the marine fauna of Pakistan.”
Khan told The Express Tribune that this kind of ribbonfish are not found everywhere across the globe. “It is first time in Pakistan that fisherman caught it and fortunately it was released safely back into the water,” he said.
The maximum weight of this rare fish was not more than one kilogramme, he added. This species is an inhabitant of the mesopelagic zone of Pakistan and feeds on lantern fishes, squids and crustaceans. This occurrence also indicates the rich marine biodiversity that exists in the offshore and coastal areas of Pakistan, he added.
According to the WWF-P officials, a polka-dot ribbonfish was previously spotted in the Northern Arabian Sea on two occasions. The occurrence was recorded by French scientist M L Bauchot and Norwegian scientist Gabriella Bianchi in 1994.
In 2010, another specimen was caught during a research survey carried out by Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Norwegian research vessel, Dr R V Fridtjof Nansen, in the offshore waters of Pakistan.
In the last eight months, the fishermen have released 15 whale sharks, three manta rays, two sunfish and one Longman’s beaked whale along with hundreds of olive Ridley and green turtles.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2015.
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Free willy: Bottlenose dolphin rescued, released into sea
By Our Correspondent
Published: April 4, 2015
Indus Dolphin. PHOTO: EXPRESS FILE
KARACHI: A common bottlenose dolphin was found entangled in a tuna gillnet around 100km south of Kund Malir along the Balochistan coast on Wednesday.
According to sources, a few fishermen on the alRaza Hussain boat were out at sea about 96km south of Kund Malir when they spotted a seven-foot-long bottlenose dolphin. They said that the dolphin was alive and entangled in a tuna gillnet.
The fishermen rescued the dolphin and released it back into the sea. After releasing the dolphin, the fishermen took a few photographs, which were later shared by the World Wide Fund for Nature — Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan).
While talking to The Express Tribune, an official from WWF-Pakistan said that dolphins and whales are known to drown quickly once they get entangled in gillnets. He added that dolphins came up to the surface about three times a minute to breathe in air normally. However, if they are very active they may surface 10 to 12 times per minute. This can get problematic when the mammals become entangled in fishing nets as they cannot breathe properly and can die as a result.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a marine fisheries technical adviser at WWF-Pakistan, said that the common bottlenose dolphins scientifically known as tursiops truncatus were found in offshore shelf waters along the coast of Pakistan. “An active dolphin dies immediately once it becomes entangled in fishing gear because it cannot reach the surface to breathe,” he said. “This is a rare case.”
WWF-Pakistan officials said that their organisation has initiated a study on the assessment of mortality of the cetaceans (dolphins and whales) in the gillnet fisheries.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2015.
By Our Correspondent
Published: April 4, 2015
Indus Dolphin. PHOTO: EXPRESS FILE
KARACHI: A common bottlenose dolphin was found entangled in a tuna gillnet around 100km south of Kund Malir along the Balochistan coast on Wednesday.
According to sources, a few fishermen on the alRaza Hussain boat were out at sea about 96km south of Kund Malir when they spotted a seven-foot-long bottlenose dolphin. They said that the dolphin was alive and entangled in a tuna gillnet.
The fishermen rescued the dolphin and released it back into the sea. After releasing the dolphin, the fishermen took a few photographs, which were later shared by the World Wide Fund for Nature — Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan).
While talking to The Express Tribune, an official from WWF-Pakistan said that dolphins and whales are known to drown quickly once they get entangled in gillnets. He added that dolphins came up to the surface about three times a minute to breathe in air normally. However, if they are very active they may surface 10 to 12 times per minute. This can get problematic when the mammals become entangled in fishing nets as they cannot breathe properly and can die as a result.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a marine fisheries technical adviser at WWF-Pakistan, said that the common bottlenose dolphins scientifically known as tursiops truncatus were found in offshore shelf waters along the coast of Pakistan. “An active dolphin dies immediately once it becomes entangled in fishing gear because it cannot reach the surface to breathe,” he said. “This is a rare case.”
WWF-Pakistan officials said that their organisation has initiated a study on the assessment of mortality of the cetaceans (dolphins and whales) in the gillnet fisheries.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2015.
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5-year practice: WWF to assess Indus River dolphin
By APP
Published: April 6, 2015
Indus Dolphin. PHOTO: EXPRESS FILE
LAHORE:
“The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan) is set to embark upon an extensive survey to assess Indus River dolphin populations,” said project coordinator Uzma Noureen on Sunday.
She said the Indus River dolphin was a threatened river cetaceans living in five sub-populations in a 1,000 kilometre stretch of the river’s main channel. She said an in-depth survey was a regular practice taken up every five years since 2001. The last survey was completed in 2011.
She said in 2001, 2006 and 2011, the dolphin population was recorded at 1,200, 1,600, and 1,452 respectively.
She said the survey could cover Jinnah barrage southwards to Kotri barrage.
She the wildlife and the irrigation departments of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would participate in the survey.
She said the goal was to discourage illegal fishing practices that were the biggest threat to the blind Indus dolphin. She said the WWF-Pakistan had taken up some awareness projects in this regard.
She said area between Guddu and Sukkur barrages had been notified as the Indus Dolphin Game Reserve by the Sindh government. She said the protected area of about 200 kms had the largest population of Indus River dolphins.
“We are negotiating with the Punjab government on this matter as there is a range of precious biodiversity here as well,” she said. She said the Indus River dolphin swam sideways, was functionally blind and navigated through echo location to find its prey.
She said its average life span was 30 years.
“The present distribution of Indus River dolphin is about 80 per cent less than what was determined in the 1,870s,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2015.
By APP
Published: April 6, 2015
Indus Dolphin. PHOTO: EXPRESS FILE
LAHORE:
“The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan) is set to embark upon an extensive survey to assess Indus River dolphin populations,” said project coordinator Uzma Noureen on Sunday.
She said the Indus River dolphin was a threatened river cetaceans living in five sub-populations in a 1,000 kilometre stretch of the river’s main channel. She said an in-depth survey was a regular practice taken up every five years since 2001. The last survey was completed in 2011.
She said in 2001, 2006 and 2011, the dolphin population was recorded at 1,200, 1,600, and 1,452 respectively.
She said the survey could cover Jinnah barrage southwards to Kotri barrage.
She the wildlife and the irrigation departments of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would participate in the survey.
She said the goal was to discourage illegal fishing practices that were the biggest threat to the blind Indus dolphin. She said the WWF-Pakistan had taken up some awareness projects in this regard.
She said area between Guddu and Sukkur barrages had been notified as the Indus Dolphin Game Reserve by the Sindh government. She said the protected area of about 200 kms had the largest population of Indus River dolphins.
“We are negotiating with the Punjab government on this matter as there is a range of precious biodiversity here as well,” she said. She said the Indus River dolphin swam sideways, was functionally blind and navigated through echo location to find its prey.
She said its average life span was 30 years.
“The present distribution of Indus River dolphin is about 80 per cent less than what was determined in the 1,870s,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2015.
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Deosai Park Pakistan, the land of GIANTS. Following is a must watch for all the wildlife lovers. Deosai –- The Last Sanctuary', ( Heaven on Earth ) a film on the endangered Himalayan Brown Bears, living in the Deosai Plateau premiered at the Pakistan Council of the Arts in Islamabad.
Below is a very good reference for the Wildlife in Pakistan.
All the National Parks,Wildlife sanctuaries,Game reserves,Wetlands & Zoos/Breeding centers are mentioned out here (with a bit of description).
Wildlife of Pakistan: National Parks of Pakistan
Below is a very good reference for the Wildlife in Pakistan.
All the National Parks,Wildlife sanctuaries,Game reserves,Wetlands & Zoos/Breeding centers are mentioned out here (with a bit of description).
Wildlife of Pakistan: National Parks of Pakistan
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A repost of mine, as this one is the right thread.
Ayubia’s outlaw leopard caught and collared for the first time by WWF team - Pakistan Explorer - A Travel & Media Company
Rewriting the odds for the wildlife conservation in Pakistan, World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan, for the first time, mounted a GPS collar on one of the tranquilised leopards in the Galayat area of Abbotabad District on Monday, September the 2nd.
The program of statistical survey of the big cats of the Galayat area is being executed under the Conservation and Assessment Management Plan (CAMP-2004) of the IUCN which has already listed the magnificent animal as the Critically Endangered species, closing in to extinction.
Picture
The satellite tracking device was fixed on the animal and was later released in the safe area of Ayubia National Park which serves as one of the biggest Natural habitat of the common leopard found in the Galayat region.
This is the first time that a common leopard has been collared in Pakistan, WWF representative said in a press release.
GPS collaring is one of the most prolific and frequently used technique for the conservation of endangered wildlife species or even for statistical data collection about a particular species.
It not only provides valuable information about the territorial extent of an animal or a pack but also helps in avoiding Human-Animal conflict in the regions where the human population density is increasing with a rapid rate.
The leopard collared by the WWF staff, was reported to have attacked the cattle of the local herdsmen who were adamant that the same animal also attacked several women in the past. They, however, had no evidence to prove their claim. Often the leopards which come in direct contact with the humans are shot dead by the villagers who consider it a threat for themselves and their cattle.
The WWF staff was accompanied by the team of Walkabout Films Production Company which shot the whole Collar-mounting episode. The production team has also worked on several Wildlife conservation projects around the world.
The WWF team, in the span of next two years, will monitor the movement of the cat in order to ascertain its territory and its possible collision with the human settlements. The team will also carry out scatological tests to find the dietary habits of the big cats of the area.
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STRIPED HYENA ( Hyaena Hyaena ) / Lhagar Bhagar, Charag (Urdu)
Discription and Biology:
Size:
Body Length: 1 meter
Shoulder Height: 65-80 cm
Weight: 25 to 45 kg
Description: Stripped Hyena are a long-haired hyena with large, pointed ears. They are gray to straw-colored with a black muzzle and black stripes on their head, torso, and legs. The striped hyena can erect the long hair on its mane and appear 38% bigger, which it does when it feels threatened. Males and females do not differ in average height or length, but males do tend to be slightly heavier.
Reproduction: Breeding is nonseasonal, beginning at two to three years. One to six cubs are born per litter, after a 88-92 day gestation. No detailed studies of sexual behavior in the striped hyena have been published. Based on observations in captivity, estrus lasts one day, with the female mating several times at 15-25 minute intervals throughout the day. The mother brings food to the den for her cubs after they are one month old, but continues to nurse for approximately 12 months.
Social Behavior: The striped hyena is generally considered solitary, but has some social organization. It forages individually and is rarely seen in groups. It does, however, associate in small family groups at the den. Immature family members will help feed younger siblings by bringing food back to the den. Vocal communication is not highly developed. It consists mainly of soft growls and other sounds used during intraspecific encounters. Territoriality is not a prominent feature in striped hyena behavior, but does exist to some extent. Dens are often used merely for short periods of time, and therefore rarely need to be defended. In some areas, however, anal-gland marks and latrines have been found near feeding sites and well-used pathways. Submissiveness in a social encounter is shown by presentation of the anal gland. First, the hyenas sniff noses, followed by anogenital sniffing. Immature young display submission to adults, and one adult will often display to another upon meeting, with the second adult reciprocating. Fighting consists of ritualized wrestling matches, each hyena attempting to grab the other around the cheek region while attempting to evade or break the other's cheek hold. The loser of the competition displays submission by the anal presentation. The striped hyena is not a favored prey species of any predator.
Diet: The striped hyena is predominantly a scavenger; its diet consisting mainly of carrion and human refuse. It scavenges large and medium-sized mammals, such as zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and impalas, even eating bones from carcasses if the meat has been picked off. It supplements its diet with fruit, insects, and occasionally by killing small animals like hare, rodents, reptiles, and birds. The striped hyena forages principally at night,individually travelling throughout its home range searching for food in no apparent pattern. Travelling speeds average 2-4 km/h, occasionall increasing to 8 km/h when trotting. Wind direction is not used to determine direction of travel, but the striped hyena will respond quickly to the scent of carrion brought by the wind. It also visits established food sites, such as garbage dumps around human settlements, fruit trees, and temporary site of large kills. Water is consumed every night if it is available, but the striped hyena can survive without water for long periods and live under desert conditions (all above information from "Animal Diversity Web," University of Michigan).
Habitat and Distribution:
The Stripped Hyena lives in arid, mountainous regions with scrub woodland. It dens in rocky hills, ravines, and crevices. In Pakistan the Stripped Hyena is mainly found in all the major hill ranges of Baluchistan and Sind Kohistan. It appears to be uncommon in Baluchistan and rare in Sind. The Stripped Hyena definitely occurs in the Kirthar mountain range in Sind, but is is considered rare. It is considered common around the hill ranges surrounding Quetta city in Baluchistan. The Stripped Hyena is extremely rare in Punjab, with only a couple of sightings around Lahore and the border with India. It was considered common in Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan, but is now very rare in these regions. In N.W.F.P, the Stripped Hyena occurs in Attock district and is also found in Mardan (all above information from "The Mammals of Pakistan," T.J. Roberts).
Discription and Biology:
Size:
Body Length: 1 meter
Shoulder Height: 65-80 cm
Weight: 25 to 45 kg
Description: Stripped Hyena are a long-haired hyena with large, pointed ears. They are gray to straw-colored with a black muzzle and black stripes on their head, torso, and legs. The striped hyena can erect the long hair on its mane and appear 38% bigger, which it does when it feels threatened. Males and females do not differ in average height or length, but males do tend to be slightly heavier.
Reproduction: Breeding is nonseasonal, beginning at two to three years. One to six cubs are born per litter, after a 88-92 day gestation. No detailed studies of sexual behavior in the striped hyena have been published. Based on observations in captivity, estrus lasts one day, with the female mating several times at 15-25 minute intervals throughout the day. The mother brings food to the den for her cubs after they are one month old, but continues to nurse for approximately 12 months.
Social Behavior: The striped hyena is generally considered solitary, but has some social organization. It forages individually and is rarely seen in groups. It does, however, associate in small family groups at the den. Immature family members will help feed younger siblings by bringing food back to the den. Vocal communication is not highly developed. It consists mainly of soft growls and other sounds used during intraspecific encounters. Territoriality is not a prominent feature in striped hyena behavior, but does exist to some extent. Dens are often used merely for short periods of time, and therefore rarely need to be defended. In some areas, however, anal-gland marks and latrines have been found near feeding sites and well-used pathways. Submissiveness in a social encounter is shown by presentation of the anal gland. First, the hyenas sniff noses, followed by anogenital sniffing. Immature young display submission to adults, and one adult will often display to another upon meeting, with the second adult reciprocating. Fighting consists of ritualized wrestling matches, each hyena attempting to grab the other around the cheek region while attempting to evade or break the other's cheek hold. The loser of the competition displays submission by the anal presentation. The striped hyena is not a favored prey species of any predator.
Diet: The striped hyena is predominantly a scavenger; its diet consisting mainly of carrion and human refuse. It scavenges large and medium-sized mammals, such as zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and impalas, even eating bones from carcasses if the meat has been picked off. It supplements its diet with fruit, insects, and occasionally by killing small animals like hare, rodents, reptiles, and birds. The striped hyena forages principally at night,individually travelling throughout its home range searching for food in no apparent pattern. Travelling speeds average 2-4 km/h, occasionall increasing to 8 km/h when trotting. Wind direction is not used to determine direction of travel, but the striped hyena will respond quickly to the scent of carrion brought by the wind. It also visits established food sites, such as garbage dumps around human settlements, fruit trees, and temporary site of large kills. Water is consumed every night if it is available, but the striped hyena can survive without water for long periods and live under desert conditions (all above information from "Animal Diversity Web," University of Michigan).
Habitat and Distribution:
The Stripped Hyena lives in arid, mountainous regions with scrub woodland. It dens in rocky hills, ravines, and crevices. In Pakistan the Stripped Hyena is mainly found in all the major hill ranges of Baluchistan and Sind Kohistan. It appears to be uncommon in Baluchistan and rare in Sind. The Stripped Hyena definitely occurs in the Kirthar mountain range in Sind, but is is considered rare. It is considered common around the hill ranges surrounding Quetta city in Baluchistan. The Stripped Hyena is extremely rare in Punjab, with only a couple of sightings around Lahore and the border with India. It was considered common in Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan, but is now very rare in these regions. In N.W.F.P, the Stripped Hyena occurs in Attock district and is also found in Mardan (all above information from "The Mammals of Pakistan," T.J. Roberts).
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