# Wildlife of Pakistan



## farhan_9909

It seems like the wildlife in Pakistan is also pretty much diverse

Please No comments,Just post the pics and if not than only watch and leave 

Because i want the first page to be clean and only with Pics

Snow Leopard























The Brown Bear of Pakistan

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## farhan_9909

Yellow-throated marten
Founds in the deosai plains of northern areas of Pakistan











Marco Polo sheep
Founds in the border between Pakistan,afghanistan and tajikistan











Deosai marmot
Found in the deosai plains

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## farhan_9909

Asiatic Black Bear
Found in Pakistan but rare
















Kashmir Gray Langur
throughout world found only most in the kashmir region(Pakistan and india)
















Kashmir Stag
Found only in india and Pakistan

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## farhan_9909

Markhor
Found only in afghanistan and Pakistan

National animal of Pakistan















Rhesus macaque

Found in the northern Pakistan











Siberian ibex
Found in northern Pakistan

Very similar to Markhor but with slightly more height and some other differences

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## farhan_9909

Smooth-coated otter
Found in sindh and most of India
















White-bellied musk deer

Found in Pakistan,india,Nepal,Afghanistan and few other countries

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## farhan_9909

Chukar Partridge
Throughout Pakistan











Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Found throughout Pakista and almost 70% of the world











Himalayan Monal

found in KPK and northern pakistan










Himalayan Snowcock
Found in Pakistan,india,nepal,Bhuton etc

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## farhan_9909

Red fox
Found in Most of the world except Africa(very rare)











Nilgai
Found in parts of Pakistan/Nepal and india

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## farhan_9909

Wild boar


















Onager

















Alexandrine Parakeet

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## farhan_9909

Barn Owl
















Black Kite
















Common Myna

My fav(In pashto we call it Mayno or Maina)DIdnt knew this is an english name

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## farhan_9909

Hoopoe

Had been seeing this since my childhood but never catched one 
















Rock Dove















Common Shelduck

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## farhan_9909

Sind krait










Indian Cobra

Found throughout south asia
















Yellow monitor
















Good work guys

No comments yet.i am still to post more than 200 pics more
Rest of them will be posted tonight or tomorrow 

So far only the Northern region is 60% only covered yet

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## Umair Nawaz

Snow-Leopard in Pamir mountains - Pakistan 






Ibex in Pakistan






Indus river dolphins 










khunjerab pass , gilgit baltistan - Pakistan	






Karumbar Lake - Pakistan wild ox






Kel Village, Neelam Valley Azad Kashmir Pakistan WILD HORSES






The Himalayan Brown Bear






Fairy meadows . In the back ground is Nanga Parbat. (8150 meter)	







yak at shimshal valley- Pakistan

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## Umair Nawaz

Dolphin in Miani Hor, near Lasbela Balochistan Province of Pakistan







A Himaylan Brown Bear standing over a cliff in Baltistan Region of Pakistan.






HAWKSBILL TURTLE, found mostly in the coast of Balochistan Province of Pakistan.






Ibex In Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

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## Umair Nawaz

bhawalpur, Pakistan






Sudhan Gali, Bagh, Azad Kashmir Pakistan wild horses.






Wild sheep











a Brown Bear in Pakistan.










Beautiful meadows at Shingri , Kaghan valley - Pakistan	






Coastal Areas in Pakistan

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## W.11

Black partridge of #Balochistan






dera bugti






Hingol National park






leatherback turtle spotted in Gwadar

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## W.11

Sorh Balochistan







mustang Balochistan






Sindh






indus river dolphin






Kirthar national park deer






Sindh

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## W.11

Balochistan

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## W.11

a leopard was hunted in Kech, Balochistan 






A Leopard was hunted (SAD)

Thatta people trying to become millioniares by catching rear poisonous lizard






Thar dsert peacock

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## MINK

W.11 said:


> a leopard was hunted in Kech, Balochistan



Is hunting legal in Pakistan?


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## EyelessInGaza

That's just very sad- as it is the wildlife is vanishing and now people are hunting them.

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## Umair Nawaz

EyelessInGaza said:


> That's just very sad- as it is the wildlife is vanishing and now people are hunting them.



When yr army is killing Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir then why cant we just hunt animals in our own country?

Why is yr @ss burning!


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## EyelessInGaza

Umair Nawaz said:


> When yr army is killing Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir then why cant we just hunt animals in our own country?
> 
> Why is yr @ss burning!



Here's a typical reply.

Instead of taking the comment in the spirit it was intended, let's be hyper and passive -aggressive and launch the debate into inane and random comparisons. 

And to top it all the faux-Socratic argument of shrill teenagers - so what if something I do is wrong, you're wrong in some other area, therefore I can do any and all wrong!

Why is 'yr a$$ burning' indeed.

You carry on sirrah, I do not wish to waste my time trudging this mediocre line of debate.

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## Aamna14

At least someone let animals live.

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## krash

The Himalayan Wolf,
















The Indian Wolf,






The Eurasian Lynx,






The Jungle Cat,






The Stripped Hyena,






The Golden Jackal,









MINK said:


> Is hunting legal in Pakistan?



Well only in designated areas, in designated seasons and for designated animals.



EyelessInGaza said:


> That's just very sad- as it is the wildlife is vanishing and now people are hunting them.



Quite a few conservation endeavors have been going on and they have shown a lot of promise. The schemes for the Snow Leopard, the Markhor, the Leopard and the Asiatic Brown Bear are good examples. Brilliant schemes, I'll go into to the details later.

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## EyelessInGaza

krash said:


> ...Quite a few conservation endeavors have been going on and they have shown a lot of promise. The schemes for the Snow Leopard, the Markhor, the Leopard and the Asiatic Brown Bear are good examples. Brilliant schemes, I'll go into to the details later.



Thanks krash for the pics and the info on conservation. As someone recently getting interested in animal welfare, I'd love to hear about how it's done in Pakistan.


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## W.11



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## W.11

monkies in margalla hills






pir sohawa








Pakistan wild life map

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## W.11



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## W.11

trot fishing in northern Pakistan





__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10200971005621546





national parks of Pakistan












Blind river dolphin











Pangolin found in Balochistan

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## W.11

spider webbed entire tree in Sindh to escape flooding











yak, the winter cow

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## W.11

leapord killed in Balochistan by this idiot

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## W.11

badger in Sindh

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## W.11

jackal

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## W.11

snow leapard

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## W.11

Egret, Punjab

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## W.11

Indian Roller

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## W.11



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## krash

Open the link in a new tab and then watch in HD fullscreen,

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## Dubious

farhan_9909 said:


> Sind *krait*


 @KRAIT

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## W.11



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## W.11

*Endangered marine turtle surfaces in Pakistan, Donatello yet to arrive*
By Our Correspondent
Published: January 18, 2014


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The Hawksbill turtle, easily recognised thanks to its unique beak, which was caught by fishermen off the coast of Balochistan. PHOTO COURTESY: WWF-PAKISTAN

*KARACHI: An endangered marine turtle, the Hawksbill, was caught by a tuna gillnet from offshore waters near Ormara on the Balochistan coast.*

This is the first time that the Hawksbill sea turtle – scientifically known as the _Eretmochelys Imbricata_ – has been reported in the country. The Leatherback turtle, another rare species, also paid a welcome visit to the country last year when it was reported near Sur, Balochistan. The Leatherback was successfully released by the WWF-Pakistan with the help of other environmental organisations and local communities.

WWF-Pakistan’s director Rab Nawaz confirmed that the Hawksbill was declared critically endangered in 1996 under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red Data List since it has seen a drastic population decline of 80 per cent.






“The Hawksbill turtle in Pakistan is a welcome new addition to the diversified marine fauna of Pakistan,” said Nawaz. “In the Indian Ocean the turtle is distributed from the African coast to the Persian Gulf and can also be found in India and the Far East.”

Nawaz added that the turtle prefers tropical and subtropical waters and is divided into two subspecies – the _Eretmochelys Imbricate_, which is found in Atlantic Ocean, and the_Eretmochelys Imbricata Bissa_, which is found in the Indo-Pacific region. The turtle found in Pakistan belongs to the latter subgroup.

The Hawksbill can easily be distinguished from other turtles thanks to its sharp curved beak and the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. It can grow up to one metre in length and has an average weight of 80 kilogrammes. However, the one that has been caught has been measured at a mere 47 centimetres.

The turtle was caught by fisherman Shah Zamin’s tuna gillnet boat ‘_Al Gul Muhammad_’. The boat had left on a fishing expedition on November 22 and returned after 57 days.

WWF-Pakistan technical advisor on Marine Fisheries Muhammad Moazzan Khan said that the Hawksbill is listed in Appendix-I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which means that it is illegal to import or export turtles or to kill, capture or harass them.

“The WWF-Pakistan has started training fishermen to release turtles that are accidently caught in their fishing gear,” he added. “Vital data about the hawksbill turtle was recorded, after which it was successfully released back into the water.”

While Hawksbills are mainly omnivorous, their principal diet consists of sea sponges. They also feed on algae, cnidarians, comb and other jellyfishes and sea anemones. Hawksbills usually lay around 140 eggs at a time and the eggs take 60 days to hatch. The turtles mature in 20 years and lay eggs every two or three years. There is no authentic record of Hawksbills breeding in Pakistani waters but coastal communities report typical Hawksbill tracks in a few isolated areas along the Balochistan coast.

The two main marine turtle species in the country are Green turtles and Olive Ridley turtles, with the Green turtle being the most common one, nesting along the Sindh and Balochistan coasts. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan located a large population of Olive Ridleys in Pakistan’s offshore waters but no recent sightings have been made.

_Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2014._

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## W.11

Hingol

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## darkinsky

*From Dubai to Karachi: WWF-P embarks on voyage to explore marine life*
By Press Release
Published: February 21, 2014


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“Last year, a school of around 4,000 — 5,000 Spinner dolphins were sighted on the Pakistani coastline near Gunz, Balochistan which indicates at the richness of marine life,” he said. PHOTO: WWF-PAKISTAN/FILE

*LAHORE: The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) started a sailing voyage from Dubai to Karachi on February 19 which will continue till February 28.*

The voyage has been undertaken to explore the rich marine life of the Arabian Sea, to highlight the unique marine ecology of the region and to record sightings of significant marine wildlife. The expedition will stop at Gwadar on its way to Karachi. WWF-P president Khalid Mahmood, along with other four members including French and Italian sailors, is leading the expedition. Crewmembers would mainly focus on recording whales, dolphins and whale sharks.

According to WWF-P Marine Fisheries technical adviser, Mohammad Moazzam Khan, a large population of the whale shark is present in these waters, and often gets entangled in fishermen’s nets. He also said that due to the awareness campaigns and training by WWF-P, fishermen have successfully released a number of whale sharks in the last few years. “Last year, a school of around 4,000 — 5,000 Spinner dolphins were sighted on the Pakistani coastline near Gunz, Balochistan which indicates at the richness of marine life,” he said. “This marine life supports such a large population of top predators like dolphins,” he added. He further said that with the help of the local fishermen, WWF-P has recently recorded authentic occurrence of Hawksbill turtle in the offshore waters of Pakistan.

The regional director of WWF-P, Rab Nawaz, commented that this voyage will help in conducting surveys to obtain more accurate information about distribution, movement, breeding and feeding of whales and dolphins. The effort aims to develop a collaborative trans-boundary plan for the conservation of the important species, he added.

_Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2014._

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## Pakistani shaheens



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## Umair Nawaz

payal saeed said:


> Beautiful!


Isnt that a hindu name?


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## ark80

*BLUE SHEEP*

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## ark80

Houbara Bustard








Hog Deer







Barking Deer

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## ghazi52



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## Pakistani shaheens

Pangolins





Cockatoo





Markhor (Pakistani goat)

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## IrbiS

*EAGLES OF PAKISTAN 
*

*
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)










Pallas' Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)










White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)










Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)








*

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## IrbiS

*Asian Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis)










Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)












Indian Spotted Eagle (Aquila hastata)










Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)






*

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## IrbiS

*Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)












Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)











Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)










Asian / Himalayan Golden Eagle / Berkut (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea)








*

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## IrbiS

*Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata)*
*






*



*Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus / Aquila pennata)*
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*Mountain hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis)*
*






*

*
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## A1Kaid

What breed of eagles do you commonly see in Lahore? I've seen several brown colored eagles in Lahore usually in morning time on roof tops. I remember one morning I went up to the roof top and saw 2 giant eagles perched on top of the wall. I was very close to them, wish I had taken a photo.


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## IrbiS

*Falcons Of PAKISTAN *

* Falcons differ from Eagles, Hawks and Kites because they kill the prey with their beaks while others use talons. Numbers have declined here because ignorant people catch and sell 'em to Arabs. I'll start with my favorite one. *


*Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus peregrinator)

 The fastest bird on the planet. It can cross 320 km in high speed dives when attacking, with highest speed recorded to be 389 km by National Geographic. It's in the logo of PAF and aviation jockies here know it's other name too : Black Shaheen








*

*Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
*
*






*



*Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)








*

*Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera)








*

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## IrbiS

*Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis)*
*Male



Female*
*



*


*
Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor)







Merlin (Falco columbarius)










Eurasian Hobby / Hobby (Falco subbuteo)







*

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## IrbiS

*Oriental Hobby (Falco severus)*
*






*



*Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus)











Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger)










Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug)






*

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## IrbiS

*Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)*
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*



*Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) *
*






*


* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*


*Osprey aka fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk or fish hawk (Pandion haliaetus)

( It's the only member of its family and not related to other Eagles or Hawks despite its common names )







*

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## Rajput_Pakistani

A1Kaid said:


> What breed of eagles do you commonly see in Lahore? I've seen several brown colored eagles in Lahore usually in morning time on roof tops. I remember one morning I went up to the roof top and saw 2 giant eagles perched on top of the wall. I was very close to them, wish I had taken a photo.


Those are not Eagles. The birds you are asking about are called Kites. "Cheel" in Urdu


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## A1Kaid

What are the laws in Pakistan about owing a falcon or eagle?


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## IrbiS

A1Kaid said:


> What are the laws in Pakistan about owing a falcon or eagle?


 Don't know but should be illegal without proper procession and good chunk of money

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## A1Kaid

IrbiS said:


> Don't know but should be illegal without proper procession and good chunk of money




I've owned birds before but never a falcon though I would like to.


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## IrbiS

I'll try to find if you can. But there's a license required even for a Black Francolin / Teetar, so Falcon should be more difficult. btw good thing deleted that troll post


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## IrbiS

*HAWKS OF PAKISTAN *


*Northern GosHawk (Accipiter gentilis)*
*







*


*Eurasian SparrowHawk (Accipiter nisus)*
*






*


*Shikra ( Hunter ) / Little Banded GosHawk (Accipiter badius)*
*






*



*Besra (Accipiter virgatus)*
*



*

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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## ghazi52

*Major Wildlife conservation Challenges in Pakistan –Last part*

by Naveed A Bari








*








Major Wildlife conservation challenges in Pakistan –Last part*

Lot of credible work has been done in the conservation of dwindling Snow Leopard population, which mostly inhabits the difficult and rugged terrains of Khunjerab National Park and the Baltistan area, close to the Chinese border. Initiatives were taken to
train the local guides and scouts, the insurance of the livestock of the local people, in the conservation of the main prey of the snow leopard i.e. the Ibex, Markhor, Urial and blue sheep etc, and intensive surveying and documentation of the cats and their
respective territories.


The government has also enacted strict laws on illegal hunting and trade of its bones and hides, mostly sold for Chinese traditional medicine making. The Himalayan Brown bear, found strictly in Deosai national park, is now considered out of the danger zone
and its population is said to be stable for the moment, owning particularly to the laws pertaining to its hunting and poaching. The Asiatic Black bear's population, however, has experienced a sharp decline as it is often hunted for its bile which is used in
traditional medicine making, and is also captured alive for the game of bear baiting practiced in the urban and suburban areas of Pakistan. It is now rarely spotted in the Kashmir area and many conservation organizations have pressurized the government to
enforce strict laws in this regard and ensure severe fine and punishments to the offenders. 


The conservation of Markhor, found in Western Balochistan, the Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw and the northern areas of Pakistan, has been one of the success stories in the conservation history of the country. In the year 1985, its population in the Torghar area of
Baluchistan dropped to less than 100. It is extensively hunted for its prized head as its horns can be as long as up to 36 in. A licensed hunting program was developed to generate revenue as well as to check illegal hunting. Pakistan is the only country with
CITES hunting authorization for Markhor with a quota of 12 trophies each year. Torghar conservation program has helped increase the Markhor population to more than 1648. Torghar is now considered as the last stronghold of the internationally threatened straight-horned
Markhor.


The Indus Dolphin has also been the victim of the increasing population and man's interference in nature. It has a poorly developed retina therefore also often called as the Blind dolphin. Its population sharply decreased after the Indus water Treaty between
India and Pakistan which enabled Pakistan to build dams and barrages and draw canals to irrigate its thousands of acres of barren land. The dolphin's habitat now stretches to just 1200kms and is often found entangled in fishing nets and trapped in canals.
WWF has carried out several training courses among the locals to help them better understand the importance and methods of its conservation. 


Among other notable conservation projects are those of the marine turtles ( Green and leatherback) found off the coast of Makran district, the Houbara Bustard, golden eagle, the Siberian crane migratory birds form the steppes of Russia and Siberia.


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## IrbiS

*HARRIERS OF PAKISTAN *

*Western / Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)













Hen / Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)*
*



*
*



*



*Pale / Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)*
*



*
*



*

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## IrbiS

*Pied Harrier* (_Circus mel__anoleucos_)










*Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)*
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*
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*


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## ghazi52

*KP govt fines Qatari prince Rs80,000 for illegal falcon hunting*







KP government is making all efforts to protect the rare species in Pakistan, said Imran Khan.-Reuters/File

PESHAWAR: In an unprecedented move, the environment ministry of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday fined a Qatari prince Rs80,000 after he was caught with three falcons in Dera Ismail Khan.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, whose party is currently ruling the province, tweeted on his official Twitter account:
Taking a jibe at the federal government, Imran said that the KP government is making all efforts to protect the rare species in Pakistan but the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had given licences and permits for hunting of the birds — that too against the law.
The PTI chief said this was the difference between the ‘naya’ and old Pakistan.

Gulf Arab royals taking over large swathes of territory in Pakistan to hunt the vulnerable species is not something new. Even the federal government issues special permits to members of royal families of the Gulf states to allow them to hunt the protected species, including houbara bustard.

Meanwhile, government for the first time has informed the permit holders that Pakistan will “observe a moratorium on hunting during the 2014-15 season to replenish houbara bustard stocks”, but conservationists keeping in view the power and influence of petrodollars are sceptical.

During the hunting season, royal families from Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia come to Balochistan's Dalbandin, Chaghi and other areas for the purpose of hunting.

The royal family have cemented good ties with influential people in the areas for hunting houbara and other birds.


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## IrbiS




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## IrbiS

*Endangered species: Leopard dies of poisoning in Abbottabad*
By Muhammad Sadaqat
Published: March 20, 2015




The leopard was a 10-year-old male and belonged to a common species found in Galiyat and Tarnawai forest areas. PHOTO: ONLINE

*ABBOTABAD: 
The autopsy of a leopard which was found dead on Wednesday has revealed that the feline was poisoned, said Dr Muhammad Zafran Turk who is in charge of Government Veterinary Hospital Abbottabad on Thursday.*

Speaking to _The Express Tribune_, Turk said the leopard was brought to the hospital on Wednesday for a post-mortem and had no injuries on its body. “The leopard was a 10-year-old male and belonged to a common species found in Galiyat and Tarnawai forest areas.”

*Animal cruelty*

According to Dr Turk, the type of poison which was used to kill the animal would be determined by a forensics laboratory.

“The leopard was presumably the oldest in the area because two of its teeth were missing,” said Dr Turk, adding this suggests he was unable to catch and kill its prey so it was relying on easily-obtainable food and ended up eating poisoned meat.






“It would have certainly moved down from snow-covered Tarnawai or Galiyat forest ranges to populated areas in search of food and became the victim of some villagers who might have already planned to kill it,” the vet speculated.

He added that in the autopsy they found a piece of poisoned goat meat from the leopard’s stomach. “Someone might have deliberately poisoned it fearing it would attack people or cattle. Or they wanted to sell its hide,” said Dr Turk.

Although the type of poison cannot be confirmed, its severity can be gauged from the clots found in the leopard’s mouth, he added. Materials found during the post-mortem have been handed over to wildlife officials to send to Lahore for forensic testing.

In reply to a question, Dr Turk said since leopards are regarded ‘near threatened’ endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the wildlife department should take concrete steps to protect them.

The leopard’s body was seized by wildlife officials in Chatiyan in Qalandarabad on March 17 when unidentified people were carrying it in a sack, attempting to move it to an unknown location. Upon being discovered, they left the body and escaped.

The wildlife department has lodged a complaint against unidentified people for killing the animal.

_Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2015._


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## IrbiS

*Wildlife conservation: 50 black bucks, 250 chinkaras released at wildlife park*
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 20, 2015




PHOTO: NATIVEPAKISTAN.COM

*BAHAWALPUR: Fifty black bucks, 250 chinkara deer and 600 partridges were released on Wednesday in the Laal Sohanra National Park by the Punjab government and the Houbara Foundation International.*

A ceremony was held at Laal Sohanra Research Centre in this regard. Abu Dhabi government’s representative Sheikh Majeed al Mansoori freed the deer and partridges.

He said that Abu Dhabi and the Pakistani governments were making efforts for the breeding Chinkara deer and partridges in Cholistan. “The research centre has been established for the protection of animals. It is a symbol of the strong relationship between the two countries,” he said.

“The wildlife protection programme was started by Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan in 1973. Under the project, 40,000 partridges have been freed so far,” he said.

Provincial Cooperatives Minister Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar said that the government had started several wildlife conservation projects in cooperation with the Houbara Foundation International.

“A safari park has been built near Laal Sohanra National Park to promote tourism. New steel cages have been installed at the research centre as well,” he said.

Minister for Forests Malik Asif said long-term steps were being taken to promote wildlife tourism in Cholistan. “The atmosphere in Cholistan is appropriate for partridges and chinkara deer,” he said.

Forests Secretary Captain (retd) Jahanzeb Khan said that the government had hired 10 forest security guards and two drivers for the Research Centre. He said that the Houbara Foundation would take control of the administration of the centre in coming months.

The officials were informed that GPS transmitters had been installed on 30 partridges for research purposes.

_Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2015._

*Clipped wings: Eight cranes saved from being smuggled*
By Sameer Mandhro / Photo: Mir Akhtar Talpur
Published: March 20, 2015




Wildlife officials saved eight cranes from being smuggled last week. Four of these protected birds are very sick as all eight were crammed into small boxes while being transported. PHOTO: COURTESY MIR AKHTAR TALPUR

*KARACHI: Officials of the Sindh wildlife department rescued eight cranes that were being smuggled last week.*

Four of these rescued birds have been badly injured and might not be able to go back to the areas they came from. According to a wildlife official, the birds were kept in boxes and are very sick. “The smuggler escaped as he saw the team in the area,” he said.

“The birds were forcefully crammed into very small boxes and it almost paralysed their legs,” said the provincial conservator of the department, Javed Ahmed Maher. “We are trying our best to help them fly again.”

The sick birds were taken to Karachi Zoo on Thursday and have been shifted to the facility again after initial treatment. “They might fly,” hoped an official requesting anonymity. “They are unable to stand and are in pain.”

According to officials, most of these migratory birds are caught from parts of Balochistan that border Afghanistan. However, their market exists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and smugglers use Sindh as the route due to transportation issues. They are fined whenever they are caught in Sindh.

These birds have been kept in a private facility near Northern Bypass with 37 other cranes which were rescued from the National Highway in October.

Since the capture of these birds, the wildlife department has been in contact with international organisations to learn about feeding and housing these birds during rehabilitation. Pakistan is among the signatories of the Convention on Migratory Species. “We are committed to taking measures for migratory birds,” said Maher.

Unfortunately, despite tall claims of the wildlife department for the preservation of birds and animals, the province still lacks a rehabilitation centre for such birds and animals. They are kept in makeshift arrangements or in private facilities for a temporary period as they cannot be housed anywhere for a long period of time.

The migratory birds are caught when they enter into Pakistan’s soil or when they are flying back to their destination. According to sources, hundreds of such birds are being smuggled but the government only rescues a few of them.

_Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2015._


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## IrbiS

*Hunted with impunity: Survival becomes a challenge for cranes as they return home*
By Zulfiqar Ali
Published: March 22, 2015




“At least 2,000 to 3,000 birds are captured or killed by hunters in December and March.”

*WANA: 
Gone are the days when Siberian migratory birds would herald the arrival of spring. Over the years, survival has become a challenge for cranes and they are seldom seen flying through Wana Valley on their way out of the subcontinent in March.*

Since 1968, the number of cranes migrating to the region has dwindled with time as little has been done to preserve their natural habitat and protect them from poachers.

More often than not, residents of Wana are overwhelmed by nostalgia and frequently reminisce about the good old days when both children and adults would be fascinated by the cranes. They have taken their preoccupation with the bird a notch higher. In order to preserve this fragment of the past, residents make it a point to sing a famous Pashto tappa–inspired from the migratory patterns of cranes–at wedding ceremonies across South Waziristan:

However, no matter how hard the locals try, they cannot stop hunters who flock to the region during the crane season and continue to hunt the birds with reckless abandon.






*Hunting season*

A large number of hunting camps are seen along the banks of the Zhob River near Zar Milan in Toi Khulla tehsil. Every night, crane hunters wait silently in their camps to capture the birds. Once the cranes have been captured, they are confined in cages.

“They use a 30 metre rope tied with an iron weight to capture the birds,” says Ehsanullah Wazir, head of Waziristan Nature Conservation Organization.

Speaking to _The Express Tribune,_ he drew attention to the cruel manner in which birds are captured, sold or killed. “At least 2,000 to 3,000 birds are captured or killed by hunters in December and March,” he adds.

Fortunately, Wazir is not the only one who is concerned. A local jirga has repeatedly urged the government to adopt a firm stance against illegal hunting.

In February 2013, jirga leaders distributed pamphlets and pressed the government to stop crane hunters. However, such initiatives have been prompted by the instinct of self-preservation rather than the need to protect the migratory birds from the threat of extinction. Wana attracts hunters from all over the world. Under the Frontier Crimes Regulation, local tribes are held responsible if hunters are kidnapped for ransom. As a result, the safety of cranes has been brushed under the carpet.

*No reprieve*

Residents of South Waziristan were once strongly opposed to hunting the migratory bird. Be it mere superstition or a disguised fear for the bird’s wellbeing, they believed misfortune would befall the entire region if the cranes were harmed in any way. However, with the changing times, this myth has steadily lost ground. People who once protected the bird have been lured into selling and killing them with the promise of hefty profits.

“Hunters do not kill the birds,” Atlas Khan, a crane hunter, told The Express Tribune. “We simply cut their wings off. They eventually grow back.” According to Khan, a large number of cranes who escape tend to return back to their captors.

Last year, the government released Rs2.5 million to protect wildlife. However, it has done little more than putting up signboards to discourage people from hunting in South Waziristan. With hunters reluctant to bid farewell to arms, fears of the migratory birds’ survival will continue to loom large.

(WRITING BY IFTIKHAR FIRDOUS)

_Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2015._


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## IrbiS

*Saving the VIPs - vultures in Pakistan*
By Syed Muhammad Abubakar
Published: March 22, 2015
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A long-billed vulture. PHOTO CREDIT: ZAHOOR SALMI

*Between 2000 and 2001, the towns of Taunsa and Toawala and the Changa Manga forest in Punjab were home to large colonies of vultures. An estimated 758 pairs of white-backed vultures flocked to Changa Manga, one of the world’s largest manmade forests. A study conducted by the Peregrine Fund and Ornithological Society of Pakistan found that an estimated 421 pairs lived in Taunsa and 445 in Toawala. Twelve years later, not a single vulture can be found in these areas. However, the World Wildlife Fund in Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) is working towards repopulating the skies of places such as Changa Manga by combating the biggest threat to this species: a drug called Diclofenac Sodium.*






*VIPs: Vultures in Pakistan*

Vultures, known locally as ‘gidh’, are said to be ‘nature’s recyclers’. Their resistance to bacterial and viral diseases means they are able to feast on dead animals, thereby renewing and cleansing the ecosystem. The white-backed vulture species, commonly found in Pakistan, India and Nepal, has declined by more than 99% since the 1990s. Thus, vultures have been mandated ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an international organisation working towards conservation of such species.






Captive breeding centre for white-backed vultures. PHOTO CREDIT: FAISAL FARID

The world is home to more than 20 species of vultures, with Australia and Antarctica the only continents where these birds do not exist. Pakistan is home to eight species of vultures: the Lammergeyer or bearded vulture, the Egyptian or scavenger vulture, the oriental white-backed vulture, the long-billed vulture, the Eurasian griffon, the Himalayan griffon, the Eurasian black vulture or Cinereous vulture and the king vulture.

For a bird that is traditionally believed to be aggressive or dangerous, many ask, ‘Why save the vultures?’ Experts from the Indian Save Asia’s Vultures from Extinction programme estimate that in the 1990s, there were as many as 40 million vultures in India, consuming roughly 12 million tonnes of carrion annually. With a sharp drop in the number of vultures, this disposal system for dead animals has all but disappeared, thus raising health and environmental concerns.

In many cases, dead animals are being sold to the poultry industry so they can be used as chicken feed. Oil is extracted from the intestines of the dead animals and calcium from their bones. With such practices, the risk of human diseases from consumption of such poultry significantly increases, says ZB Mirza, author of _A field guide to Birds of Pakistan_ and visiting professor of biodiversity at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore.

*The hunter becomes hunted*

In September 2006, WWF-Pakistan successfully lobbied the government to ban the drug Diclofenac Sodium. The drug is used as a painkiller or to reduce swelling in injured or diseased animals and in 2004, experts found that vultures feeding on cattle treated with Diclofenac died from acute kidney failure within days or were unable to reproduce. The demise of the white-backed vulture (_Gyps bengalensis_), long-billed vulture (_Gyps indicus_) and the slender-billed vulture (_Gyps tenuirostris_) was directly linked with the use of the drug by veterinarians and farmers.






An anti-inflammatory veterinary drug, Diclofenac Sodium. PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA

Even as the production and use of the painkiller injection was banned in 2006, the drug is reportedly smuggled into Pakistan from China and vets continue to use it. As Diclofenac is also found in pain-relieving drugs for humans, many vets or farmers simply administer this version to sick animals.






Experts have suggested the use of an alternate drug Meloxicam, which is being promoted among farming communities and vets, as it is not harmful for vultures. Sensitisation seminars and workshops are also routinely held to educate communities about the damaging effects of Diclofenac.

*Safe zones*

In 2005, WWF-Pakistan released 21 white-backed vultures in a large aviary in the Changa Manga forest and fed the birds a steady diet of donkeys and goats reared on the project’s site. The programme, the Gyps Vulture Restoration Project, intends to replenish the vulture population and once the environment is deemed to be free of Diclofenac, these vultures will be freed. The birds have identification chips embedded in their skin to enable identification.

As of 2014, WWF-Pakistan says 14 white-backed vultures live in the Changa Manga restoration centre, which enables captive breeding and the maintenance of vulture population in the area. Sustaining conservation is tough work, WWF-Pakistan says, keeping in mind funding and the fact that this species of bird lays only one egg in a year.






Between 2011 and 2013, WWF-Pakistan found 15 active nests of vultures in Nagarparkar, in Tharparkar, Sindh. In order to conserve the white-backed vultures here, the group set up a protected zone, the Vulture Safe Zone, over 100kms. Free livestock vaccinations and de-worming is offered here in order to prevent the use of Diclofenac while information on better animal husbandry practices is provided to the local farming community.

*Syed Muhammad Abubakar is a freelance journalist and tweets @SyedMAbubakar*

_Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 22nd, 2015._


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## IrbiS

*Saving snow leopards: Mushahidullah elected international steering committee chair*
By Our Correspondent
Published: March 23, 2015

Khan told the participants from 12 countries at the meeting that there were 100-200 snow leopards in Pakistan. 


*ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan has been elected chairman of international steering committee of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme.*

He was elected at the first two-day meeting of GSLEP steering committee in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Addressing the meeting, the minister assured the participants that Pakistan would join global efforts for protection and conservation of the endangered snow leopard, whose population has declined rapidly in the country because of illegal hunting.

Khan told the participants from 12 countries at the meeting that there were 100-200 snow leopards in Pakistan. He said major challenges to their population world-over were poaching, hunting and climate change.






“Snow leopards are in trouble. We can help them by controlling their illegal hunting,” the minister urged.

He hoped that joint efforts to be pledged at the GSEP meeting in Bishkek will help protect snow leopards from extinction and yield a range of positive results, such as preserving biodiversity.

The minister said that a big part of the GSLEP strategy will be focused on educating rural mountain and herder communities about the need to protect snow leopards, engaging them in conservation efforts, and helping them have sustainable livelihoods. There are 4,000 – 6,500 snow leopards in the world, mostly in South and Central Asian countries.

_Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2015._


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## IrbiS

*Owner delighted as lioness gives birth to five cubs in Multan*
By Web Desk
Published: March 27, 2015




African lioness named Rani, or Queen, sits with her newly born five cubs at the house of her owner who has grown her as a pet, Thursday, March 26, 2015, in Multan, Pakistan. The African lioness has given birth to five healthy cubs. Lions normally have litters of two or three cubs. PHOTO: AP


*The African lioness kept as a pet in Multan has given birth to five cubs.*

The owner of the lioness Malik Fazal Abbas, who is by profession a cotton and mango farmer, seems very delighted as it is really rare for lioness to give birth to five cubs at a time. Lions usually give birth to a litter of two to three cubs at a time.








Raja sits in his owners house in Multan. PHOTO: AP

Lioness, which goes by the name of ‘Rani’ mated with a male lion ‘Raja’ that Abbas also keeps in his home.






Care taker comforts the cubs of the African lioness. PHOTO: AP

Abbas has been granted a license by the Pakistani Wildlife Department to keep lions as pets like many other people in the country.

_This article originally appeared in the Dailymail._


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## Darth Vader

my grandmother or as i call her ama has few of these in pak

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## IrbiS

* 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......... *

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## IrbiS

*Caracal (Caracal caracal)*
*






*



*Jungle Cat / Jangli Billi / Reed Cat / Swamp Cat (Felis chaus)*
*



*
*



*



*Fishing Cat / Mach Billi (Prionailurus viverrinus)*
*






*



*Pallas's Cat (Otocolobus manul)*
*



*
*



*



*Continued..........*

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## IrbiS

*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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## Kurlang

*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_

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## IrbiS

*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._

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## S.U.R.B.

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

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## S.U.R.B.

A repost of mine, as this one is the right thread.








> One day in the high mountains in northern Pakistan, a goat herder found a lone baby snow leopard. When he was sure that the baby’s mother was not going to come and retrieve her cub, the herder decided that the only choice he had was to take the baby to his home.
> 
> This the herder did, and for a while the cub lived with his family. When it got too big and lively to live in the family home, the herder moved the cub to a grain shed. The cub became “listless and tired” so the herder contacted the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). People working for WWF brought the cub back to their office, and the veterinarians there examined him. One of the staff members knew how to care for the cub but everyone was worried about the cub’s future. Snow leopards are an endangered species, and every single one of them is precious and worth saving.
> 
> The cub was named Leo, and wanting to do what was best for him, the Pakistani government asked for help. It was decided that the best thing to do with Leo was to send him to the United States to live at the Bronx Zoo because the staff there know how to care for snow leopard cubs.
> 
> Leo’s journey from Pakistan to the zoo was a complicated one, but he took all the changes he experienced in his stride. He trusted humans enough that he was not afraid that they would harm him. Indeed, it became clear over time that Leo thought that he too was a human. Though this made it easier to care for him, it was not a good situation for Leo. Somehow the staff at the zoo had to teach Leo how to be a snow leopard.
> 
> As they read this book readers will see how a group of dedicated people worked together to save an animal. They will also learn about snow leopards, and will come to appreciate that wildlife organizations and zoos have a great deal to offer when it comes to protecting endangered species.
> 
> At the back of the book the authors provide readers with further information about snow leopards, zoos, captive breeding programs, and endangered species conservation.
> Review Written by Marya Jansen-Gruber



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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## IrbiS

*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).


*

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## IrbiS



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## IrbiS

*MAR-KHOR / Snake Eater ( Capra falconeri )*

*Markhor is a species of wild goat inhabiting Northeast Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Southern Tajikistan and Southern Uzbekistan. It eats grasses and leaves. Females gestate for 135-170 days and give birth typically to 1-2 kids. Animals are sexually mature at 18-30 months, and live 12-13 years. Predators include the wolf, snow leopards, and lynx.

Markhor is the National Animal of Pakistan and listed as an Endangered Species. Some 2,500 mature individuals are left in the wild and population trend is on the decline.










Etymology

The colloquial name is thought by some to be derived from the Persian word mar, meaning snake, and khor, meaning "eater", which is sometimes interpreted to either represent the species' ability to kill snakes, or as a reference to its corkscrewing horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of coiling snakes. According to folklore (Explanation by Shah Zaman Gorgani), the markhor has the ability to kill a snake and eat it. Thereafter, while chewing the cud, a foam-like substance comes out of its mouth which drops on the ground and dries. This foam-like substance is sought after by the local people, who believe it is useful in extracting snake poison from snake bitten wounds.






Physical description

Markhor stand 65 to 115 centimetres (26 to 45 in) at the shoulder, 132 to 186 centimetres (52 to 73 in) in length and weigh from 32 to 110 kilograms (71 to 243 lb). They have the highest maximum shoulder height among the species in the genus Capra, but is surpassed in length and weight by the Siberian Ibex. The coat is of a grizzled, light brown to black colour, and is smooth and short in summer, while growing longer and thicker in winter. The fur of the lower legs is black and white. Markhor are sexually dimorphic, with males having longer hair on the chin, throat, chest and shanks. Females are redder in colour, with shorter hair, a short black beard, and are maneless. Both sexes have tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns, which close together at the head, but spread upwards toward the tips. The horns of males can grow up to 160 cm (64 inches) long, and up to 25 cm (10 inches) in females. The males have a pungent smell, which surpasses that of the domestic goat.


Behavior

Markhor are adapted to mountainous terrain, and can be found between 600 and 3,600 meters in elevation. They typically inhabit scrub forests made up primarily of oaks (Quercus ilex), pines (Pinus gerardiana), and junipers(Juniperus macropoda). They are diurnal, and are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. Their diets shift seasonally: in the spring and summer periods they graze, but turn to browsing in winter, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. The mating season takes place in winter, during which the males fight each other by lunging, locking horns and attempting to push each other off balance. The gestation period lasts 135–170 days, and usually results in the birth of one or two kids, though rarely three. Markhor live in flocks, usually numbering nine animals, composed of adult females and their young. Adult males are largely solitary. Adult females and kids comprise most of the markhor population, with adult females making up 32% of the population and kids making up 31%. Adult males comprise 19%, while subadults (males aged 2–3 years) make up 12%, and yearlings (females aged 12–24 months) make up 9% of the population. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats. Early in the season the males and females may be found together on the open grassy patches and clear slopes among the forest. During the summer, the males remain in the forest, while the females generally climb to the highest rocky ridges above




Geographic Range

 This species is found in northeastern Afghanistan, southwest Jammu and Kashmir, northern and central Pakistan, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan (Grubb, 2005). It ranges in elevation from 600 to 3,600 m asl.






Capra falconeri falconeri ( Astor / Pir Panjal Markhor )
 
Within Afghanistan, it is historically been limited to the east in the high mountainous, monsoon forests of Laghman and Nuristan. Within India, markhor is restricted to part of the Pir Panjal range in southwestern Jammu and Kashmir (Ranjitsinh et al. 2005, Bhatnagar et al. 2007). Populations are scattered throughout this range starting from just east of the Banihal pass (50 km from the Chenab river) on the Jammu-Srinagar highway westward to the disputed border with Pakistan. Populations are known from recent surveys still to occur in catchments of the Limber and Lachipora rivers in the Jhelum Valley Forest Division, and around Shupiyan to the south of Srinagar. In Pakistan, Schaller and Khan (1975) considered the former Astor markhor (C. f. falconeri) and Kashmir markhor (C. f cashmiriensis) to be one subspecies – the flare-horned markhor. The distribution map given by Schaller and Khan (1975) seems still valid for this markhor, though the populations within the large range along the Indus have probably since decreased. Markhor is mainly confined to the Indus and its tributaries, as well as to the Kunar (Chitral) river and its tributaries. Along the Indus, it inhabits both banks from Jalkot (District Kohistan) upstream to near the Tungas village (District Baltistan), with Gakuch being its western limit up the Gilgit river, Chalt up the Hunza river, and the Parishing valley up the Astor river (Schaller and Khan, 1975). The occurrence of this markhor on the right side of the Yasin valley (Gilgit District) in the recent past (Schaller and Kahn, 1975) was also reported to R. Hess in 1986, but could not be confirmed. The flare-horned markhor is also found around Chitral and the border areas with Afghanistan where it inhabits a number of valleys along the Kunar river (Chitral District), from Arandu on the west bank and Drosh on the east bank, up to Shoghor along the Lutkho river, and as far as Barenis along the Mastuj river (Schaller and Khan, 1975).


Capra falconeri heptneri (Bukharan Markhor )
 
This subspecies previously occupied most of the mountains lying along the north banks of the Upper Amu Darya and the Pyanj rivers from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan. Today it is found in only about two to three scattered populations in a greatly reduced distribution. It is limited to the region between lower Pyanj and the Vakhsh rivers near Kulyab in Tajikistan (about 70”E and 37’40’ to 38”N), and in the Kugitangtau range in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (around 66’40’E and 37’30’N) (Weinberg et al.1997). This subspecies may possibly exist in the Darwaz peninsula of northern Afghanistan near the border with Tajikistan. Almost nothing was known of this subspecies or its distribution in Afghanistan before 1979 (Habibi, 1977), and no new information has been developed in Afghanistan since that time.


Capra falconeri megaceros ( Kabul Markhor )

In Afghanistan, at least until 1978, this markhor survived only in the Kabul Gorge and the Kohe Safi area of Kapissa, and in some isolated pockets in between. Intensive hunting pressure had forced it into the most inaccessible regions of its once wider range in the mountains of Kapissa and Kabul Provinces. In Pakistan, the most comprehensive study of the distribution and status of the straight-horned markhor comes from Schaller and Khan (1975). They showed a huge recent past range for this subspecies, but the present range in Pakistan consists only of small isolated areas in Baluchistan, a small area in NWFP, and one unconfirmed occurrence in Dera Ghazi Khan District (Punjab Province). Virk (1991) summarized the actual information for Baluchistan Province and confirmed the subspecies’ presence in the area of the Koh-i-Sulaiman (District Zhob) and the Takatu hills (District Quetta), both according to Ahmad (1989), and in the Torghar hills of the Toba Kakar range (District Zhob) (Tareen, 1990). The NWFP Forest Department (NWFP, 1987) considered that the areas of Mardan and Sheikh Buddin were still inhabited by the subspecies. There is no actual information about the Safed Koh range (Districts of Kurram and Khyber) where, according to Schaller and Khan (1975), probably at least 100 animals lived on the Pakistan side of the border at the time of their survey.



Population
The global population is estimated to be less than 2,500 mature individuals, although recent data are lacking for most parts of its range.

Capra falconeri falconeri
In Afghanistan, some 350 markhor were counted in western Nuristan (Petocz, 1972), which was considered a small proportion of the animals present. The population was believed to be declining steeply 10 years ago. Camera and hunter surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Nuristan during 2006-07 suggest that the species is now quite rare, and remaining individuals continue to be of interest to poachers. 

In 1975, markhor were estimated to total 250 to 300 animals in India (Schaller and Khan, 1975). In 2005, Ranjitsinh et al. (2005) conducted surveys in most of the historical range of markhor in the Pir Panjal mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, observing 155 markhor within 2 of the 7 blocks surveyed. They guessed the total population within the surveyed area of Jammu and Kashmir to be some 280-330 markhor (although stressed that they did not believe this represented a true population increase from previous estimates). Bhatnagar et al. (2007) estimated 63 ±16 in the Limber catchment of this area. 

In Pakistan, there are comparable population numbers over the last 20 years for three areas. 1) In 1970, the Chitral Gol, a valley of 77.5 km² in the Chitral District, and at that time the private hunting reserve of the Mehtar of Chitral, was estimated to harbor 100 to 125 animals (Schaller and Mirza, 1971). In 1984, this area was declared a National Park, and by 1985-86, it contained 160 (census) to 300 (estimated) animals. In addition, the proportion of males 24.5 years old increased during the same period (Hess, 1986). Within this time span, Aleem (1979) registered a maximum of 520 animals in Chitral Gol in 1979. The increase was attributed to better protection from poaching and to other improvement efforts in the Park (Malik, 1985). However, according to the latest official census (Ahmad, unpubl. data), the population in Chitral Gol NP was reduced to 195 markhor in 1987. 2) For the Tushi GR in the Chitral District, Schaller and Khan (1975) estimated 125 animals, a number similar to that estimated in 1985-86 (anonymous 1986, Hess in press). 3) The population of markhor in the Kargah GS (Gilgit District) was estimated by Roberts (1969) as not less than 500 to 600 animals; by Schaller and Khan (1975) as 50; by Rasool (no date, probably 1976) as 109; by Hess (1986) as 50 to 75; and by Rasool (unpubl. data) in 1991 as 40-50. In 1983, Rasool (unpubl. data) estimated that this area was the best area for markhor within the Gilgit District. Schaller and Khan (1975) estimated a total of at least 5,250 flare-horned markhor living in Pakistan, in the border areas with Afghanistan, and in India. The official census for Chitral District gave 6 17 markhor for 1985-86, and the NWFP Forest Department (NWFP, 1992) estimated 1,075 for the whole province (619 - Chitral, 109 - Dir, 58 - Swat, 221 - Kohistan, 50 - Mansehra; NWFP, 1992). The Wildlife Wing (Northern Areas Forest Dept., unpubl. data) estimated a total of 1,000 to 1,500 markhor in the Northern Areas in 1993 (Districts Gilgit, Diamir and Baltistan), though there may be no more than a maximum of 40 to 50 animals for a single area. Hence the population of this subspecies appears to have decreased since 1975. Today, less than 2,500 to 3,000 flare-horned markhor are estimated to survive in Pakistan.

Capra falconeri heptneri
In the ex-Soviet republics, the total population was estimated to be about 700 animals, and numbers generally decreasing in the 1990s (Shackleton et al. 1997), although Weinberg et al. (1997), based on reports from game wardens and local inhabitants, believed the population in Kugitang Nature Reserve in eastern Turkmenistan was increasing during the mid-1990s. In the Khozratisho range and in Kushvoristone (Tajikistan) there were around 350 markhor (Sokov, 1989), but nothing is known about current population numbers in Tajikistan. A recent survey in Kugitang revealed that its western (Turkmenistan) slopes harbor over 250 markhor (Weinberg et al. 1997, Fedosenko et al. 2000). In the early 1980s there were 400 in the whole of Uzbekistan according to the Uzbek Red Data Book (1983), but in 1994 there were only 290 estimated in this Republic, with only 86 counted in the Surkhan Nature Reserve in May 1993 (Chernagaev et al., 1995). There is no estimate for Afghanistan.

Capra falconeri megaceros
In Afghanistan, very few animals survived even 10 years ago, perhaps 50-80 in the Kohe Safi region, with a few in other isolated pockets. In Pakistan, Schaller and Khan (1975) estimated that more than 2,000 individuals remained throughout the entire range of straight-horned markhor. Roberts (1969) estimated that the total population of the former subspecies C. f. jerdoni, restricted mainly to the Province of Baluchistan, may have exceeded 1,000 animals, but that it was severely threatened because it survived in discontinuous and isolated pockets. For this same area, Schaller and Khan (1975) estimated less than 1,000 animals. Roberts (1969) believed that the main concentration of this former subspecies was in the Toba Kakar and Torghar hills and numbers could have been less than 500. Johnson (1997) estimated there were 695 Sulaiman markhor in the Torghar Hills in 1994. However, Rosser et al. (2005) summarized results from more recent surveys that suggested markhor in the Torghar Hills had increased to over 1,600 by the year 2000. Schaller and Khan (1975) estimated 150 straight-horned markhor living in the Takatu hills in 1971, but later Ahmad (1989) reported that only 50 still existed in these hills, and only 100 in the area of Koh-i-Sulaiman. The NWFP Forest Department (NWFP, 1992) gave a total of only 24 animals for the whole province: 12 for the Mardan area, and 12 for the Sheikh Buddin NP. There is no recent estimate for the total number of straight-horned markhor in Pakistan.




Threats





Capra falconeri falconeri
Within Afghanistan, markhor have been traditionally hunted in Nuristan and Laghman, and this may have intensified during the war. Domestic livestock were also increasing 10 years ago, creating competition for forage. According to surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Nuristan during 2007, markhor continue to be attractive for local hunters (despite a nominal ban on hunting nationwide). The continued existence of markhor in India is threatened by hunting and some habitat alteration. The small population of markhor in India justifies its Endangered status. The primary current threat related to hunting is increasing in association with the civil unrest and armed conflict present in the region of its habitat along India’s border with Pakistan. Thus, the main threat to markhor in India is their value as food within areas of armed conflict, although their high value as a trophy species also makes them sought after by hunters. Flare-horned markhor generally occur only in small (<100), scattered populations and at low densities throughout most of northern Pakistan. Control of poaching in Chitral Gol NP has been successful (Malik, 1985), and similar protection should be afforded other populations. Such actions alone may not be sufficient, however. Despite less poaching, markhor numbers have decreased and no more than 200 are believed to remain in Chitral Gol NP (Ahmad, unpubl. data).

Capra falconeri heptneri
In Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, markhor are reportedly poached for meat and for horns which are used for medicinal purposes in the large Asian market. Animals are also threatened by habitat loss, disturbance and forage competition from domestic livestock. 

Capra falconeri megaceros
In Afghanistan, excessive hunting by local people and forage competition with livestock were pushing markhor to the periphery of its range. Such severe pressure was endangering the population towards a slow demise, and its status is unlikely to have improved since. In Pakistan, hunting and livestock competition, as well as significant habitat loss caused by logging in the Suleiman range, which is the most important area of straight-horned markhor’s distribution.


Conservation
Capra falconeri is listed in Appendix I of CITES.

Capra falconeri falconeri
Listed in Appendix I of CITES. Within Afghanistan, the species was protected nominally by a nationwide presidential decree banning hunting, but this ban was not generally enforced. In 2009 the species as a whole was listed on Afghanistan’s Protected Species List, making any hunting or trade of this species within the country illegal. Conservation measures proposed include: 1) census current population numbers, productivity and distributions; 2) re-assess conservation potentials after population surveys have been made; and, based on these data 3) consider a series of hunting reserves that have full support of the local people. This is probably the best chance for the flare-horned markhor’s survival. It will be critical to the success of such a program that the local people receive a substantial benefit from the operation of such reserves. Nuristan and Laghman are home to some of the toughest tribes in the country, with non-integrated societies that are frequently at odds with each other. 

It is a fully protected (Schedule I) species in Jammu and Kashmir’s Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1978 (Ganhar, 1979). Currently, markhor in valley occurs in only three small protected areas: the Limber Game Reserve and the Lachipora and Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuaries. Conservation measures proposed include: 1) A new survey, with subsequent monitoring, is urgently needed to reassess the current status of the Astor markhor in India. However, this will have to await the easing of political tension and violence in the area. 2) Consider future re-introductions to previously inhabited ranges in the Pir Panjal mountains. 

In Pakistan, the markhor is completely protected by federal law (Rao, 1986). A trophy hunting program for markhor was initiated in 1998, with a total of 7 animals legally taken through 2001 (Shackleton 2001). The quota was increased by CITES in 2002 from 6 to 12 animals due to the success of the program with the purpose of encouraging local communities for conservation of markhor through economic incentives from trophy hunting program. The central government issues permits only to areas in which a community-based trophy hunting program has been established; as of 2000, 80% of hunter fees were mandated to go to the community (although inter-community, as well as provincial-federal disputes over receipts and permitting have occurred). The program has continued through 2007 with trophy price for markhor increasing from US $18,000 to about US $57,000. According of official records, approximately US $830,000 has been distributed to communities within Northwest Frontier Province since 1998 from hunter remittances from the 17 markhor taken since 1998 (A. Khan, unpublished data, Northwest Frontier Province Wildlife Management, 2008). 

Several protected areas contain flare-horned markhor: NWFP - Chitral District: Chitral Gol NP, Drosh Gol GR, Gahirat Gol GR, Goleem Gol GR, Goleen Gol GR, Purit Gol- Chinar Gol GR, Tushi GR (NWFP, 1992); Swat District: Totalai GR (Zool. Survey Dept., 1987). Northwn Areas - Gilgit District: Kargah WS, Naltar WS, Danyore GR, Sherqillah GR. (Rasool, no date); Diamir District: Astor WS, Tangir GR (Rasool, no date); Baltistan District: Baltistan WS, Askor Nallah GR (Rasool, no date). Azad Jammu and Kashmir - Muzaffarabad: Mauji CR, Qazi Nag GR, Hillan CR (Zool. Survey Dept., 1986); Poonch District: Phala GR (Qayyum, 1986, 47). Despite containing only about 200 animals, Chitral Gol NP may still protect the largest population of flare-horned markhor in the world—an indication of how critical the status of this subspecies is. Conservation measures proposed include: 1) stop allowing foreign hunters to take animals in Chitral Gol National Park; 2) treat Kargah GS as a focal area for markhor and enforce protection measures (Kargah is probably the best place for markhor in the Gilgit District, and like the Chitral Gol, should be rather easy to control because it is a traditional wildlife sanctuary and is close to Gilgit); 3) adopt a similar procedure for the area around Bagheecha in the Indus valley, which is one of the best places in Baltistan for markhor and also relatively easy to control; and 4) do not lift the hunting ban (which is excepted for approved community-based trophy hunts), as is currently being considered for the Northern Areas, because no single area contains greater than 50 animals.

Capra falconeri heptneri
Listed in Appendix I of CITES. It occurs in three Nature Reserves: Kugitang (Turkmensitan), Surkhan (Uzbekistan), and Dashti Jum (Tajikistan). Hunting by foreigners is currently permitted (at least two markhor/ year) in Tajikistan, with the government planning to allow more to be hunted in 1993-94, but the current status of hunting is uncertain. In Uzbekistan, two markhor were taken in 1994, and “Glavbiocontrol” of the State Committee for Nature Protection planned for two markhor licenses to be issued in 1995 (Anon., 1995b). A captive herd of markhor is reported in Dashti Jum NR, and a captive breeding program is apparently underway in Ramit Nature Reserve in the Gissar range (Tajikistan), with about 10 animals released by 1989. All markhor currently held in western zoos are considered to belong to this subspecies. Conservation measures proposed include: 1) stop poaching as soon as possible; 2) halt trophy hunting until professional biologists have completed adequate population surveys and thoroughly assessed the suitability of such programs; and 3) enlarge the size of the Kugitang Nature Reserve (Turkmenistan) on the western slopes of the Kugitangtau, because it protects only the high elevation summer habitat of markhor and the currently unprotected lower winter ranges are grazed by livestock. In Afghanistan, no measures were taken in the country and the species occurs in no protected areas. Much needed are surveys to determine if the taxon occurs in Afghanistan.

Capra falconeri megaceros
In Afghanistan, no measures were taken in the country and the species occurs in no protected areas. Status within country is Indeterminate (probably Endangered). Drastic measures will be required if the Kabul markhor is still alive today. It is necessary to carry out surveys to assess numbers and distribution as soon as possible. Public support for its conservation is essential if it is to survive, but this will be difficult to obtain.

Only one protected area is known to contain straight-horned markhor in Pakistan: Sheikh Buddin NP (previously a Wildlife Sanctuary) in Dera Ismail Khan District of NWFP (Zoological Survey Dept., 1987). The status of the subspecies in protected areas in Baluchistan is uncertain. Its occurrence is not confirmed in Chiltan-Hazarganji NP, and there is no reliable information for either Sasnamana or Ziarat Juniper WS’s. There are no reports of any in protected areas in Punjab. Due to recent protective measures in Koh-i-Sulaiman area, the population may be increasing slowly, but poaching still occurs in Takatu. 

The Torghar Conservation Project in Baluchistan however, appears to have had success in reducing poaching and competition by livestock (Johnson 1997); the markhor population in this area is reported to have increased steadily since initiation of the program Torghar (Rosser et al. 2005). 

Additional conservation measures proposed are: 1) immediately develop a conservation and management plan that includes information on the status and distribution of the subspecies in the areas it still inhabits; 2) include participatory management in the tribal areas in this plan; 3) besides the Torghar hills, consider the area of Koh-i-Sulaiman and the Takatu hills as a focal area for conservation efforts; and 4) if feasible, establish a captive population*

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## S.U.R.B.

*Country / region: Islamabad*
Number of species: 326
Number of globally threatened species: 12
Number of introduced species: 1​
*ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae*

White-headed Duck _Oxyura leucocephala_ Endangered
Bar-headed Goose _Anser indicus_
Greylag Goose _Anser anser_
Ruddy Shelduck _Tadorna ferruginea_
Marbled Teal _Marmaronetta angustirostris_ Vulnerable
Common Pochard _Aythya ferina_
Ferruginous Duck _Aythya nyroca_ Near-threatened
Tufted Duck _Aythya fuligula_
Gadwall _Mareca strepera_
Eurasian Wigeon _Mareca penelope_
Mallard _Anas platyrhynchos_
Common Teal _Anas crecca_
Asian Pygmy Goose _Nettapus coromandelianus_

*GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae*

Common Quail _Coturnix coturnix_
Chukar Partridge _Alectoris chukar_
See-see Partridge _Ammoperdix griseogularis_
Black Francolin _Francolinus francolinus_
Grey Francolin _Francolinus pondicerianus_

*PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Phoenicopteridae*

Greater Flamingo _Phoenicopterus roseus_

*PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Podicipedidae*

Little Grebe _Tachybaptus ruficollis_
Great Crested Grebe _Podiceps cristatus_
Black-necked Grebe _Podiceps nigricollis_

*COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae*

Rock Dove _Columba livia_
Wood Pigeon _Columba palumbus_
Oriental Turtle Dove _Streptopelia orientalis_
Eurasian Collared Dove _Streptopelia decaocto_
Red Collared Dove _Streptopelia tranquebarica_
Spotted-necked Dove _Streptopelia chinensis_
Laughing Dove _Streptopelia senegalensis_

*PTEROCLIFORMES: Pteroclidae*

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse _Pterocles exustus_
Black-bellied Sandgrouse _Pterocles orientalis_

*CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae*

Grey Nightjar _Caprimulgus indicus_
Large-tailed Nightjar _Caprimulgus macrurus_
Savanna Nightjar _Caprimulgus affinis_

*CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Apodidae*

Little Swift _Apus affinis_
Common Swift _Apus apus_

*CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae*

Greater Coucal _Centropus sinensis_
Jacobin Cuckoo _Clamator jacobinus_
Common Koel _Eudynamys scolopaceus_
Grey-bellied Cuckoo _Cacomantis passerinus_
Common Hawk Cuckoo _Hierococcyx varius_
Common Cuckoo _Cuculus canorus_

*GRUIFORMES: Rallidae*

Ruddy-breasted Crake _Zapornia fusca_
Little Crake _Zapornia parva_
White-breasted Waterhen _Amaurornis phoenicurus_
Watercock _Gallicrex cinerea_
Purple Swamphen _Porphyrio porphyrio_
Common Moorhen _Gallinula chloropus_
Common Coot _Fulica atra_

*OTIDIFORMES: Otididae*

Little Bustard _Tetrax tetrax_ Near-threatened

*PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae*

Dalmatian Pelican _Pelecanus crispus_ Vulnerable

*PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae*

Eurasian Bittern _Botaurus stellaris_
Yellow Bittern _Ixobrychus sinensis_
Cinnamon Bittern _Ixobrychus cinnamomeus_
Indian Pond Heron _Ardeola grayii_
Cattle Egret _Bubulcus ibis_
Grey Heron _Ardea cinerea_
Purple Heron _Ardea purpurea_
Great Egret _Ardea alba_
Little Egret _Egretta garzetta_

*PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae*

Eurasian Spoonbill _Platalea leucorodia_
Glossy Ibis _Plegadis falcinellus_

*PELECANIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae*

Little Cormorant _Microcarbo niger_
Great Cormorant _Phalacrocorax carbo_

*PELECANIFORMES: Anhingidae*

Oriental Darter _Anhinga melanogaster_ Near-threatened

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Burhinidae*

Eurasian Thick-knee _Burhinus oedicnemus_
Great Thick-knee _Esacus recurvirostris_ Near-threatened

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Haematopodidae*

Ibisbill _Ibidorhyncha struthersii_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae*

Black-winged Stilt _Himantopus himantopus_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae*

Little Ringed Plover _Charadrius dubius_
Kentish Plover _Charadrius alexandrinus_
Northern Lapwing _Vanellus vanellus_
Red-wattled Lapwing _Vanellus indicus_
Sociable Lapwing _Vanellus gregarius_ Critically endangered
White-tailed Lapwing _Vanellus leucurus_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Rostratulidae*

Greater Painted-snipe _Rostratula benghalensis_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Jacanidae*

Pheasant-tailed Jacana _Hydrophasianus chirurgus_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae*

Eurasian Curlew _Numenius arquata_ Near-threatened
Black-tailed Godwit _Limosa limosa_ Near-threatened
Temminck's Stint _Calidris temminckii_
Dunlin _Calidris alpina_
Green Sandpiper _Tringa ochropus_
Common Greenshank _Tringa nebularia_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Turnicidae*

Common Buttonquail _Turnix sylvaticus_
Yellow-legged Buttonquail _Turnix tanki_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Glareolidae*

Cream-coloured Courser _Cursorius cursor_
Indian Courser _Cursorius coromandelicus_
Little Pratincole _Glareola lactea_

*CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae*

Black-headed Gull _Chroicocephalus ridibundus_
Whiskered Tern _Chlidonias hybrida_
River Tern _Sterna aurantia_ Near-threatened

*ACCIPITRIFORMES: Pandionidae*

Osprey _Pandion haliaetus_

*ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae*

Black-winged Kite _Elanus caeruleus_
Oriental Honey Buzzard _Pernis ptilorhynchus_
Egyptian Vulture _Neophron percnopterus_ Endangered
Crested Serpent Eagle _Spilornis cheela_
Short-toed Eagle _Circaetus gallicus_
Red-headed Vulture _Sarcogyps calvus_ Rare/Accidental Critically endangered
Himalayan Vulture _Gyps himalayensis_ Near-threatened
White-rumped Vulture _Gyps bengalensis_ Critically endangered
Griffon Vulture _Gyps fulvus_
Cinereous Vulture _Aegypius monachus_ Near-threatened
Greater Spotted Eagle _Clanga clanga_ Vulnerable
Tawny Eagle _Aquila rapax_
Steppe Eagle _Aquila nipalensis_
Eastern Imperial Eagle _Aquila heliaca_ Vulnerable
Golden Eagle _Aquila chrysaetos_
Bonelli's Eagle _Aquila fasciata_
Booted Eagle _Hieraaetus pennatus_
Western Marsh Harrier _Circus aeruginosus_
Hen Harrier _Circus cyaneus_
Pallid Harrier _Circus macrourus_ Near-threatened
Pied Harrier _Circus melanoleucos_
Shikra _Accipiter badius_
Eurasian Sparrowhawk _Accipiter nisus_
Pallas's Fish Eagle _Haliaeetus leucoryphus_ Vulnerable
Black Kite _Milvus migrans_
White-eyed Buzzard _Butastur teesa_
Eurasian Buzzard _Buteo buteo_
Long-legged Buzzard _Buteo rufinus_

*STRIGIFORMES: Tytonidae*

Common Barn Owl _Tyto alba_

*STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae*

Asian Barred Owlet _Glaucidium cuculoides_
Pallid Scops Owl _Otus brucei_
Oriental Scops Owl _Otus sunia_
Collared Scops Owl _Otus bakkamoena_
Northern Long-eared Owl _Asio otus_
Rock Eagle Owl _Bubo bengalensis_
Brown Fish Owl _Ketupa zeylonensis_

*BUCEROTIFORMES: Upupidae*

Common Hoopoe _Upupa epops_

*PICIFORMES: Picidae*

Northern Wryneck _Jynx torquilla_
Black-rumped Woodpecker _Dinopium benghalense_
Grey-headed Woodpecker _Picus canus_
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker _Picus squamatus_
Brown-fronted Woodpecker _Dendrocopos auriceps_
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker _Dendrocopos mahrattensis_
Sind Woodpecker _Dendrocopos assimilis_

*PICIFORMES: Ramphastidae*

Great Barbet _Psilopogon virens_
Blue-throated Barbet _Psilopogon asiaticus_
Coppersmith Barbet _Psilopogon haemacephalus_

*CORACIIFORMES: Meropidae*

Green Bee-eater _Merops orientalis_
Blue-tailed Bee-eater _Merops philippinus_
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater _Merops persicus_
European Bee-eater _Merops apiaster_

*CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae*

Indian Roller _Coracias benghalensis_
European Roller _Coracias garrulus_ Near-threatened

*CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae*

Common Kingfisher _Alcedo atthis_
Pied Kingfisher _Ceryle rudis_
White-throated Kingfisher _Halcyon smyrnensis_

*FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae*

Lesser Kestrel _Falco naumanni_
Common Kestrel _Falco tinnunculus_
Red-necked Falcon _Falco chicquera_
Merlin _Falco columbarius_
Eurasian Hobby _Falco subbuteo_
Laggar Falcon _Falco jugger_ Near-threatened
Saker Falcon _Falco cherrug_ Endangered
Peregrine Falcon _Falco peregrinus_

*PSITTACIFORMES: Psittaculidae*

Alexandrine Parakeet _Psittacula eupatria_ Near-threatened
Rose-ringed Parakeet _Psittacula krameri_

*PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae*

Small Minivet _Pericrocotus cinnamomeus_
Long-tailed Minivet _Pericrocotus ethologus_
Scarlet Minivet _Pericrocotus flammeus_
Rosy Minivet _Pericrocotus roseus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Vangidae*

Common Woodshrike _Tephrodornis pondicerianus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae*

Black Drongo _Dicrurus macrocercus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae*

White-browed Fantail _Rhipidura aureola_
White-throated Fantail _Rhipidura albicollis_

*PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae*

Turkestan Shrike _Lanius phoenicuroides_
Bay-backed Shrike _Lanius vittatus_
Long-tailed Shrike _Lanius schach_
Great Grey Shrike _Lanius excubitor_

*PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae*

Rufous Treepie _Dendrocitta vagabunda_
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie _Urocissa flavirostris_
Black-headed Jay _Garrulus lanceolatus_
Eurasian Magpie _Pica pica_
Eurasian Jackdaw _Corvus monedula_
Rook _Corvus frugilegus_
Common Raven _Corvus corax_
House Crow _Corvus splendens_
Large-billed Crow _Corvus macrorhynchos_

*PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae*

Indian Paradise-flycatcher _Terpsiphone paradisi_

*PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae*

Purple Sunbird _Cinnyris asiaticus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Prunellidae*

Rufous-breasted Accentor _Prunella strophiata_
Black-throated Accentor _Prunella atrogularis_

*PASSERIFORMES: Ploceidae*

Streaked Weaver _Ploceus manyar_
Baya Weaver _Ploceus philippinus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae*

Red Avadavat _Amandava amandava_
Indian Silverbill _Euodice malabarica_
Scaly-breasted Munia _Lonchura punctulata_

*PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae*

House Sparrow _Passer domesticus_
Chestnut-shouldered Bush Sparrow _Gymnoris xanthocollis_

*PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae*

Tree Pipit _Anthus trivialis_
Rosy Pipit _Anthus roseatus_
Water Pipit _Anthus spinoletta_
Paddyfield Pipit _Anthus rufulus_
Long-billed Pipit _Anthus similis_
Grey Wagtail _Motacilla cinerea_
Citrine Wagtail _Motacilla citreola_
White-browed Wagtail _Motacilla maderaspatensis_
White Wagtail _Motacilla alba_

*PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae*

Common Chaffinch _Fringilla coelebs_
Brambling _Fringilla montifringilla_
Black-and-yellow Grosbeak _Mycerobas icterioides_
Common Rosefinch _Erythrina erythrina_
Blyth's Rosefinch _Carpodacus grandis_
Orange Bullfinch _Pyrrhula aurantiaca_
Spectacled Finch _Callacanthis burtoni_
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch _Chloris spinoides_
Common Linnet _Linaria cannabina_
European Goldfinch _Carduelis carduelis_ Rare/Accidental

*PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae*

Striated Bunting _Fringillaria striolata_
Crested Bunting _Melophus lathami_
Rock Bunting _Emberiza cia_
White-capped Bunting _Emberiza stewarti_
Pine Bunting _Emberiza leucocephalos_
Eurasian Reed Bunting _Schoeniclus schoeniclus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Stenostiridae*

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher _Culicicapa ceylonensis_

*PASSERIFORMES: Paridae*

Fire-capped Tit _Cephalopyrus flammiceps_
Green-backed Tit _Parus monticolus_
Cinereous Tit _Parus cinereus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae*

Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark _Eremopterix griseus_
Lesser Short-toed Lark _Alaudala rufescens_
Hume's Short-toed Lark _Calandrella acutirostris_
Horned Lark _Eremophila alpestris_
Eurasian Sky Lark _Alauda arvensis_
Oriental Sky Lark _Alauda gulgula_
Crested Lark _Galerida cristata_

*PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae*

Zitting Cisticola _Cisticola juncidis_
Striated Prinia _Prinia crinigera_
Rufous-fronted Prinia _Prinia buchanani_
Grey-breasted Prinia _Prinia hodgsonii_
Graceful Prinia _Prinia gracilis_
Yellow-bellied Prinia _Prinia flaviventris_
Ashy Prinia _Prinia socialis_
Plain Prinia _Prinia inornata_
Common Tailorbird _Orthotomus sutorius_

*PASSERIFORMES: Acrocephalidae*

Booted Warbler _Iduna caligata_
Sykes's Warbler _Iduna rama_
Moustached Warbler _Acrocephalus melanopogon_
Blyth's Reed Warbler _Acrocephalus dumetorum_
Paddyfield Warbler _Acrocephalus agricola_
Blunt-winged Warbler _Acrocephalus concinens_

*PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae*

Asian House Martin _Delichon dasypus_
Streak-throated Swallow _Petrochelidon fluvicola_
Red-rumped Swallow _Cecropis daurica_
Wire-tailed Swallow _Hirundo smithii_
Barn Swallow _Hirundo rustica_
Eurasian Crag Martin _Ptyonoprogne rupestris_
Pale Crag Martin _Ptyonoprogne obsoleta_
Plain Martin _Riparia paludicola_

*PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae*

Black Bulbul _Hypsipetes leucocephalus_
Himalayan Bulbul _Pycnonotus leucogenis_
White-eared Bulbul _Pycnonotus leucotis_
Red-vented Bulbul _Pycnonotus cafer_

*PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae*

Brooks's Leaf Warbler _Abrornis subviridis_
Yellow-browed Warbler _Abrornis inornatus_
Hume's Leaf Warbler _Abrornis humei_
Lemon-rumped Warbler _Abrornis chloronotus_
Common Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus collybita_
Mountain Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus lorenzii_
Kashmir Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus sindianus_
Plain Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus neglectus_
Tytler's Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus tytleri_ Near-threatened
Sulphur-bellied Warbler _Phylloscopus griseolus_
Tickell's Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus affinis_
Whistler's Leaf Warbler _Seicercus whistleri_
Western Crowned Leaf Warbler _Seicercus occipitalis_
Grey-hooded Leaf Warbler _Seicercus xanthoschistos_

*PASSERIFORMES: Scotocercidae*

Streaked Scrub Warbler _Scotocerca inquieta_

*PASSERIFORMES: Aegithalidae*

Black-throated Tit _Aegithalos concinnus_
White-cheeked Tit _Aegithalos leucogenys_ Introduced species

*PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae*

Asian Desert Warbler _Curruca nana_
Eastern Orphean Warbler _Curruca crassirostris_
Lesser Whitethroat _Curruca curruca_
Yellow-eyed Babbler _Chrysomma sinense_

*PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae*

Oriental White-eye _Zosterops palpebrosus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Timaliidae*

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler _Erythrogenys erythrogenys_

*PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae*

Scrub Babbler _Argya caudata_
Jungle Babbler _Turdoides striata_
Rufous-chinned Laughing-thrush _Garrulax rufogularis_
Streaked Laughing-thrush _Trochalopteron lineatum_
Variegated Laughing-thrush _Trochalopteron variegatum_
Rufous Sibia _Heterophasia capistrata_

*PASSERIFORMES: Certhiidae*

Bar-tailed Treecreeper _Certhia himalayana_

*PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae*

Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch _Sitta castanea_
White-cheeked Nuthatch _Sitta leucopsis_
Wallcreeper _Tichodroma muraria_

*PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae*

Common Starling _Sturnus vulgaris_
Asian Pied Starling _Gracupica contra_
Brahminy Starling _Sturnia pagodarum_
Common Myna _Acridotheres tristis_
Bank Myna _Acridotheres ginginianus_
Jungle Myna _Acridotheres fuscus_

*PASSERIFORMES: Cinclidae*

White-throated Dipper _Cinclus cinclus_
Brown Dipper _Cinclus pallasii_

*PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae*

Indian Robin _Saxicoloides fulicatus_
Oriental Magpie Robin _Copsychus saularis_
Spotted Flycatcher _Muscicapa striata_
Rufous-bellied Niltava _Niltava sundara_
Asian Verditer Flycatcher _Eumyias thalassinus_
Bluethroat _Luscinia svecica_
White-bellied Redstart _Luscinia phaenicuroides_
Blue Whistling Thrush _Myophonus caeruleus_
White-tailed Rubythroat _Calliope pectoralis_
Golden Bush Robin _Tarsiger chrysaeus_
Red-breasted Flycatcher _Ficedula parva_
Ultramarine Flycatcher _Ficedula superciliaris_
Slaty-blue Flycatcher _Ficedula tricolor_
Blue-capped Redstart _Adelura coeruleocephala_
Eversmann's Redstart _Adelura erythronota_
White-capped Water Redstart _Chaimarrornis leucocephalus_
Black Redstart _Phoenicurus ochruros_
Blue-capped Rock Thrush _Monticola cinclorhyncha_
Blue Rock Thrush _Monticola solitarius_
Stoliczka's Bush Chat _Saxicola macrorhynchus_ Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Eastern Stonechat _Saxicola maurus_
Pied Bush Chat _Saxicola caprata_
Grey Bush Chat _Saxicola ferreus_
Pied Wheatear _Oenanthe pleschanka_
Variable Wheatear _Oenanthe picata_

*PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae*

Plain-backed Thrush _Zoothera mollissima_
Scaly Thrush _Zoothera dauma_
Orange-headed Thrush _Geokichla citrina_
Mistle Thrush _Turdus viscivorus_
Grey-winged Blackbird _Turdus boulboul_
Dusky Thrush _Turdus eunomus_
Black-throated Thrush _Turdus atrogularis_


References (partial list)


BirdLife International and NatureServe (2011) Bird species distribution maps of the world. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK and NatureServe, Arlington, USA. [Distribution]
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2011-2015. eBird. eBird [Species records]
Also : List of birds of Islamabad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


@IrbiS 

Fly up high my friend, capture them with your sharp eyes.... and relay those breathtaking images in here.

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## pakdefender

Bar headed Geese , these are migratory birds which pass through Pakistan and often in fields of newly growing wheat






Kala Teetar ( Black Partridge )






See See partridge , found mainly in Balochistan and Sindh






Sand Grouse






Urial






Taloor ( Bustard )

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## IrbiS

S.U.R.B. said:


> *Country / region: Islamabad*
> Number of species: 326
> Number of globally threatened species: 12
> Number of introduced species: 1​
> *ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae*
> 
> White-headed Duck _Oxyura leucocephala_ Endangered
> Bar-headed Goose _Anser indicus_
> Greylag Goose _Anser anser_
> Ruddy Shelduck _Tadorna ferruginea_
> Marbled Teal _Marmaronetta angustirostris_ Vulnerable
> Common Pochard _Aythya ferina_
> Ferruginous Duck _Aythya nyroca_ Near-threatened
> Tufted Duck _Aythya fuligula_
> Gadwall _Mareca strepera_
> Eurasian Wigeon _Mareca penelope_
> Mallard _Anas platyrhynchos_
> Common Teal _Anas crecca_
> Asian Pygmy Goose _Nettapus coromandelianus_
> 
> *GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae*
> 
> Common Quail _Coturnix coturnix_
> Chukar Partridge _Alectoris chukar_
> See-see Partridge _Ammoperdix griseogularis_
> Black Francolin _Francolinus francolinus_
> Grey Francolin _Francolinus pondicerianus_
> 
> *PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Phoenicopteridae*
> 
> Greater Flamingo _Phoenicopterus roseus_
> 
> *PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Podicipedidae*
> 
> Little Grebe _Tachybaptus ruficollis_
> Great Crested Grebe _Podiceps cristatus_
> Black-necked Grebe _Podiceps nigricollis_
> 
> *COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae*
> 
> Rock Dove _Columba livia_
> Wood Pigeon _Columba palumbus_
> Oriental Turtle Dove _Streptopelia orientalis_
> Eurasian Collared Dove _Streptopelia decaocto_
> Red Collared Dove _Streptopelia tranquebarica_
> Spotted-necked Dove _Streptopelia chinensis_
> Laughing Dove _Streptopelia senegalensis_
> 
> *PTEROCLIFORMES: Pteroclidae*
> 
> Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse _Pterocles exustus_
> Black-bellied Sandgrouse _Pterocles orientalis_
> 
> *CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae*
> 
> Grey Nightjar _Caprimulgus indicus_
> Large-tailed Nightjar _Caprimulgus macrurus_
> Savanna Nightjar _Caprimulgus affinis_
> 
> *CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Apodidae*
> 
> Little Swift _Apus affinis_
> Common Swift _Apus apus_
> 
> *CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae*
> 
> Greater Coucal _Centropus sinensis_
> Jacobin Cuckoo _Clamator jacobinus_
> Common Koel _Eudynamys scolopaceus_
> Grey-bellied Cuckoo _Cacomantis passerinus_
> Common Hawk Cuckoo _Hierococcyx varius_
> Common Cuckoo _Cuculus canorus_
> 
> *GRUIFORMES: Rallidae*
> 
> Ruddy-breasted Crake _Zapornia fusca_
> Little Crake _Zapornia parva_
> White-breasted Waterhen _Amaurornis phoenicurus_
> Watercock _Gallicrex cinerea_
> Purple Swamphen _Porphyrio porphyrio_
> Common Moorhen _Gallinula chloropus_
> Common Coot _Fulica atra_
> 
> *OTIDIFORMES: Otididae*
> 
> Little Bustard _Tetrax tetrax_ Near-threatened
> 
> *PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae*
> 
> Dalmatian Pelican _Pelecanus crispus_ Vulnerable
> 
> *PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae*
> 
> Eurasian Bittern _Botaurus stellaris_
> Yellow Bittern _Ixobrychus sinensis_
> Cinnamon Bittern _Ixobrychus cinnamomeus_
> Indian Pond Heron _Ardeola grayii_
> Cattle Egret _Bubulcus ibis_
> Grey Heron _Ardea cinerea_
> Purple Heron _Ardea purpurea_
> Great Egret _Ardea alba_
> Little Egret _Egretta garzetta_
> 
> *PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae*
> 
> Eurasian Spoonbill _Platalea leucorodia_
> Glossy Ibis _Plegadis falcinellus_
> 
> *PELECANIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae*
> 
> Little Cormorant _Microcarbo niger_
> Great Cormorant _Phalacrocorax carbo_
> 
> *PELECANIFORMES: Anhingidae*
> 
> Oriental Darter _Anhinga melanogaster_ Near-threatened
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Burhinidae*
> 
> Eurasian Thick-knee _Burhinus oedicnemus_
> Great Thick-knee _Esacus recurvirostris_ Near-threatened
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Haematopodidae*
> 
> Ibisbill _Ibidorhyncha struthersii_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae*
> 
> Black-winged Stilt _Himantopus himantopus_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae*
> 
> Little Ringed Plover _Charadrius dubius_
> Kentish Plover _Charadrius alexandrinus_
> Northern Lapwing _Vanellus vanellus_
> Red-wattled Lapwing _Vanellus indicus_
> Sociable Lapwing _Vanellus gregarius_ Critically endangered
> White-tailed Lapwing _Vanellus leucurus_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Rostratulidae*
> 
> Greater Painted-snipe _Rostratula benghalensis_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Jacanidae*
> 
> Pheasant-tailed Jacana _Hydrophasianus chirurgus_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae*
> 
> Eurasian Curlew _Numenius arquata_ Near-threatened
> Black-tailed Godwit _Limosa limosa_ Near-threatened
> Temminck's Stint _Calidris temminckii_
> Dunlin _Calidris alpina_
> Green Sandpiper _Tringa ochropus_
> Common Greenshank _Tringa nebularia_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Turnicidae*
> 
> Common Buttonquail _Turnix sylvaticus_
> Yellow-legged Buttonquail _Turnix tanki_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Glareolidae*
> 
> Cream-coloured Courser _Cursorius cursor_
> Indian Courser _Cursorius coromandelicus_
> Little Pratincole _Glareola lactea_
> 
> *CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae*
> 
> Black-headed Gull _Chroicocephalus ridibundus_
> Whiskered Tern _Chlidonias hybrida_
> River Tern _Sterna aurantia_ Near-threatened
> 
> *ACCIPITRIFORMES: Pandionidae*
> 
> Osprey _Pandion haliaetus_
> 
> *ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae*
> 
> Black-winged Kite _Elanus caeruleus_
> Oriental Honey Buzzard _Pernis ptilorhynchus_
> Egyptian Vulture _Neophron percnopterus_ Endangered
> Crested Serpent Eagle _Spilornis cheela_
> Short-toed Eagle _Circaetus gallicus_
> Red-headed Vulture _Sarcogyps calvus_ Rare/Accidental Critically endangered
> Himalayan Vulture _Gyps himalayensis_ Near-threatened
> White-rumped Vulture _Gyps bengalensis_ Critically endangered
> Griffon Vulture _Gyps fulvus_
> Cinereous Vulture _Aegypius monachus_ Near-threatened
> Greater Spotted Eagle _Clanga clanga_ Vulnerable
> Tawny Eagle _Aquila rapax_
> Steppe Eagle _Aquila nipalensis_
> Eastern Imperial Eagle _Aquila heliaca_ Vulnerable
> Golden Eagle _Aquila chrysaetos_
> Bonelli's Eagle _Aquila fasciata_
> Booted Eagle _Hieraaetus pennatus_
> Western Marsh Harrier _Circus aeruginosus_
> Hen Harrier _Circus cyaneus_
> Pallid Harrier _Circus macrourus_ Near-threatened
> Pied Harrier _Circus melanoleucos_
> Shikra _Accipiter badius_
> Eurasian Sparrowhawk _Accipiter nisus_
> Pallas's Fish Eagle _Haliaeetus leucoryphus_ Vulnerable
> Black Kite _Milvus migrans_
> White-eyed Buzzard _Butastur teesa_
> Eurasian Buzzard _Buteo buteo_
> Long-legged Buzzard _Buteo rufinus_
> 
> *STRIGIFORMES: Tytonidae*
> 
> Common Barn Owl _Tyto alba_
> 
> *STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae*
> 
> Asian Barred Owlet _Glaucidium cuculoides_
> Pallid Scops Owl _Otus brucei_
> Oriental Scops Owl _Otus sunia_
> Collared Scops Owl _Otus bakkamoena_
> Northern Long-eared Owl _Asio otus_
> Rock Eagle Owl _Bubo bengalensis_
> Brown Fish Owl _Ketupa zeylonensis_
> 
> *BUCEROTIFORMES: Upupidae*
> 
> Common Hoopoe _Upupa epops_
> 
> *PICIFORMES: Picidae*
> 
> Northern Wryneck _Jynx torquilla_
> Black-rumped Woodpecker _Dinopium benghalense_
> Grey-headed Woodpecker _Picus canus_
> Scaly-bellied Woodpecker _Picus squamatus_
> Brown-fronted Woodpecker _Dendrocopos auriceps_
> Yellow-crowned Woodpecker _Dendrocopos mahrattensis_
> Sind Woodpecker _Dendrocopos assimilis_
> 
> *PICIFORMES: Ramphastidae*
> 
> Great Barbet _Psilopogon virens_
> Blue-throated Barbet _Psilopogon asiaticus_
> Coppersmith Barbet _Psilopogon haemacephalus_
> 
> *CORACIIFORMES: Meropidae*
> 
> Green Bee-eater _Merops orientalis_
> Blue-tailed Bee-eater _Merops philippinus_
> Blue-cheeked Bee-eater _Merops persicus_
> European Bee-eater _Merops apiaster_
> 
> *CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae*
> 
> Indian Roller _Coracias benghalensis_
> European Roller _Coracias garrulus_ Near-threatened
> 
> *CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae*
> 
> Common Kingfisher _Alcedo atthis_
> Pied Kingfisher _Ceryle rudis_
> White-throated Kingfisher _Halcyon smyrnensis_
> 
> *FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae*
> 
> Lesser Kestrel _Falco naumanni_
> Common Kestrel _Falco tinnunculus_
> Red-necked Falcon _Falco chicquera_
> Merlin _Falco columbarius_
> Eurasian Hobby _Falco subbuteo_
> Laggar Falcon _Falco jugger_ Near-threatened
> Saker Falcon _Falco cherrug_ Endangered
> Peregrine Falcon _Falco peregrinus_
> 
> *PSITTACIFORMES: Psittaculidae*
> 
> Alexandrine Parakeet _Psittacula eupatria_ Near-threatened
> Rose-ringed Parakeet _Psittacula krameri_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae*
> 
> Small Minivet _Pericrocotus cinnamomeus_
> Long-tailed Minivet _Pericrocotus ethologus_
> Scarlet Minivet _Pericrocotus flammeus_
> Rosy Minivet _Pericrocotus roseus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Vangidae*
> 
> Common Woodshrike _Tephrodornis pondicerianus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae*
> 
> Black Drongo _Dicrurus macrocercus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae*
> 
> White-browed Fantail _Rhipidura aureola_
> White-throated Fantail _Rhipidura albicollis_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae*
> 
> Turkestan Shrike _Lanius phoenicuroides_
> Bay-backed Shrike _Lanius vittatus_
> Long-tailed Shrike _Lanius schach_
> Great Grey Shrike _Lanius excubitor_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae*
> 
> Rufous Treepie _Dendrocitta vagabunda_
> Yellow-billed Blue Magpie _Urocissa flavirostris_
> Black-headed Jay _Garrulus lanceolatus_
> Eurasian Magpie _Pica pica_
> Eurasian Jackdaw _Corvus monedula_
> Rook _Corvus frugilegus_
> Common Raven _Corvus corax_
> House Crow _Corvus splendens_
> Large-billed Crow _Corvus macrorhynchos_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae*
> 
> Indian Paradise-flycatcher _Terpsiphone paradisi_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae*
> 
> Purple Sunbird _Cinnyris asiaticus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Prunellidae*
> 
> Rufous-breasted Accentor _Prunella strophiata_
> Black-throated Accentor _Prunella atrogularis_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Ploceidae*
> 
> Streaked Weaver _Ploceus manyar_
> Baya Weaver _Ploceus philippinus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae*
> 
> Red Avadavat _Amandava amandava_
> Indian Silverbill _Euodice malabarica_
> Scaly-breasted Munia _Lonchura punctulata_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae*
> 
> House Sparrow _Passer domesticus_
> Chestnut-shouldered Bush Sparrow _Gymnoris xanthocollis_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae*
> 
> Tree Pipit _Anthus trivialis_
> Rosy Pipit _Anthus roseatus_
> Water Pipit _Anthus spinoletta_
> Paddyfield Pipit _Anthus rufulus_
> Long-billed Pipit _Anthus similis_
> Grey Wagtail _Motacilla cinerea_
> Citrine Wagtail _Motacilla citreola_
> White-browed Wagtail _Motacilla maderaspatensis_
> White Wagtail _Motacilla alba_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae*
> 
> Common Chaffinch _Fringilla coelebs_
> Brambling _Fringilla montifringilla_
> Black-and-yellow Grosbeak _Mycerobas icterioides_
> Common Rosefinch _Erythrina erythrina_
> Blyth's Rosefinch _Carpodacus grandis_
> Orange Bullfinch _Pyrrhula aurantiaca_
> Spectacled Finch _Callacanthis burtoni_
> Yellow-breasted Greenfinch _Chloris spinoides_
> Common Linnet _Linaria cannabina_
> European Goldfinch _Carduelis carduelis_ Rare/Accidental
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae*
> 
> Striated Bunting _Fringillaria striolata_
> Crested Bunting _Melophus lathami_
> Rock Bunting _Emberiza cia_
> White-capped Bunting _Emberiza stewarti_
> Pine Bunting _Emberiza leucocephalos_
> Eurasian Reed Bunting _Schoeniclus schoeniclus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Stenostiridae*
> 
> Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher _Culicicapa ceylonensis_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Paridae*
> 
> Fire-capped Tit _Cephalopyrus flammiceps_
> Green-backed Tit _Parus monticolus_
> Cinereous Tit _Parus cinereus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae*
> 
> Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark _Eremopterix griseus_
> Lesser Short-toed Lark _Alaudala rufescens_
> Hume's Short-toed Lark _Calandrella acutirostris_
> Horned Lark _Eremophila alpestris_
> Eurasian Sky Lark _Alauda arvensis_
> Oriental Sky Lark _Alauda gulgula_
> Crested Lark _Galerida cristata_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae*
> 
> Zitting Cisticola _Cisticola juncidis_
> Striated Prinia _Prinia crinigera_
> Rufous-fronted Prinia _Prinia buchanani_
> Grey-breasted Prinia _Prinia hodgsonii_
> Graceful Prinia _Prinia gracilis_
> Yellow-bellied Prinia _Prinia flaviventris_
> Ashy Prinia _Prinia socialis_
> Plain Prinia _Prinia inornata_
> Common Tailorbird _Orthotomus sutorius_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Acrocephalidae*
> 
> Booted Warbler _Iduna caligata_
> Sykes's Warbler _Iduna rama_
> Moustached Warbler _Acrocephalus melanopogon_
> Blyth's Reed Warbler _Acrocephalus dumetorum_
> Paddyfield Warbler _Acrocephalus agricola_
> Blunt-winged Warbler _Acrocephalus concinens_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae*
> 
> Asian House Martin _Delichon dasypus_
> Streak-throated Swallow _Petrochelidon fluvicola_
> Red-rumped Swallow _Cecropis daurica_
> Wire-tailed Swallow _Hirundo smithii_
> Barn Swallow _Hirundo rustica_
> Eurasian Crag Martin _Ptyonoprogne rupestris_
> Pale Crag Martin _Ptyonoprogne obsoleta_
> Plain Martin _Riparia paludicola_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae*
> 
> Black Bulbul _Hypsipetes leucocephalus_
> Himalayan Bulbul _Pycnonotus leucogenis_
> White-eared Bulbul _Pycnonotus leucotis_
> Red-vented Bulbul _Pycnonotus cafer_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae*
> 
> Brooks's Leaf Warbler _Abrornis subviridis_
> Yellow-browed Warbler _Abrornis inornatus_
> Hume's Leaf Warbler _Abrornis humei_
> Lemon-rumped Warbler _Abrornis chloronotus_
> Common Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus collybita_
> Mountain Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus lorenzii_
> Kashmir Chiffchaff _Phylloscopus sindianus_
> Plain Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus neglectus_
> Tytler's Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus tytleri_ Near-threatened
> Sulphur-bellied Warbler _Phylloscopus griseolus_
> Tickell's Leaf Warbler _Phylloscopus affinis_
> Whistler's Leaf Warbler _Seicercus whistleri_
> Western Crowned Leaf Warbler _Seicercus occipitalis_
> Grey-hooded Leaf Warbler _Seicercus xanthoschistos_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Scotocercidae*
> 
> Streaked Scrub Warbler _Scotocerca inquieta_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Aegithalidae*
> 
> Black-throated Tit _Aegithalos concinnus_
> White-cheeked Tit _Aegithalos leucogenys_ Introduced species
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae*
> 
> Asian Desert Warbler _Curruca nana_
> Eastern Orphean Warbler _Curruca crassirostris_
> Lesser Whitethroat _Curruca curruca_
> Yellow-eyed Babbler _Chrysomma sinense_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae*
> 
> Oriental White-eye _Zosterops palpebrosus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Timaliidae*
> 
> Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler _Erythrogenys erythrogenys_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae*
> 
> Scrub Babbler _Argya caudata_
> Jungle Babbler _Turdoides striata_
> Rufous-chinned Laughing-thrush _Garrulax rufogularis_
> Streaked Laughing-thrush _Trochalopteron lineatum_
> Variegated Laughing-thrush _Trochalopteron variegatum_
> Rufous Sibia _Heterophasia capistrata_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Certhiidae*
> 
> Bar-tailed Treecreeper _Certhia himalayana_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae*
> 
> Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch _Sitta castanea_
> White-cheeked Nuthatch _Sitta leucopsis_
> Wallcreeper _Tichodroma muraria_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae*
> 
> Common Starling _Sturnus vulgaris_
> Asian Pied Starling _Gracupica contra_
> Brahminy Starling _Sturnia pagodarum_
> Common Myna _Acridotheres tristis_
> Bank Myna _Acridotheres ginginianus_
> Jungle Myna _Acridotheres fuscus_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Cinclidae*
> 
> White-throated Dipper _Cinclus cinclus_
> Brown Dipper _Cinclus pallasii_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae*
> 
> Indian Robin _Saxicoloides fulicatus_
> Oriental Magpie Robin _Copsychus saularis_
> Spotted Flycatcher _Muscicapa striata_
> Rufous-bellied Niltava _Niltava sundara_
> Asian Verditer Flycatcher _Eumyias thalassinus_
> Bluethroat _Luscinia svecica_
> White-bellied Redstart _Luscinia phaenicuroides_
> Blue Whistling Thrush _Myophonus caeruleus_
> White-tailed Rubythroat _Calliope pectoralis_
> Golden Bush Robin _Tarsiger chrysaeus_
> Red-breasted Flycatcher _Ficedula parva_
> Ultramarine Flycatcher _Ficedula superciliaris_
> Slaty-blue Flycatcher _Ficedula tricolor_
> Blue-capped Redstart _Adelura coeruleocephala_
> Eversmann's Redstart _Adelura erythronota_
> White-capped Water Redstart _Chaimarrornis leucocephalus_
> Black Redstart _Phoenicurus ochruros_
> Blue-capped Rock Thrush _Monticola cinclorhyncha_
> Blue Rock Thrush _Monticola solitarius_
> Stoliczka's Bush Chat _Saxicola macrorhynchus_ Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
> Eastern Stonechat _Saxicola maurus_
> Pied Bush Chat _Saxicola caprata_
> Grey Bush Chat _Saxicola ferreus_
> Pied Wheatear _Oenanthe pleschanka_
> Variable Wheatear _Oenanthe picata_
> 
> *PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae*
> 
> Plain-backed Thrush _Zoothera mollissima_
> Scaly Thrush _Zoothera dauma_
> Orange-headed Thrush _Geokichla citrina_
> Mistle Thrush _Turdus viscivorus_
> Grey-winged Blackbird _Turdus boulboul_
> Dusky Thrush _Turdus eunomus_
> Black-throated Thrush _Turdus atrogularis_
> 
> 
> References (partial list)
> 
> 
> BirdLife International and NatureServe (2011) Bird species distribution maps of the world. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK and NatureServe, Arlington, USA. [Distribution]
> Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2011-2015. eBird. eBird [Species records]
> Also : List of birds of Islamabad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> 
> @IrbiS
> 
> Fly up high my friend, capture them with your sharp eyes.... and relay those breathtaking images in here.




Didn't get the tag notice. I was thinking of posting snakes but not for now cause list is long and would take time as this one. So will try to break down categorically like earlier posts.

Thanks.

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## IrbiS

*Snow leopards: Cat on camera*
By Ali Khurshid / Photo: Ali Khurshid / Creative: Maryam Rashid
Published: May 24, 2015




. PHOTO COURTESY: ANIMAL.SHOW TELLYOU


*Snow leopards have been mandated ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The animal’s total population in Pakistan is estimated to be between 100 and 200. Therefore, as the country’s national heritage animal, it is critical to protect snow leopards and provide a safe habitat for them.*






A two-year-old snow leopard was recently rescued by a local of Sost village in upper Hunza. PHOTO: ALI KHURSHID

*Recently, a local, Farmaan Raza, of Sost village in upper Hunza rescued a two-year-old snow leopard from a partially frozen river. He designed a large cage to protect the animal and has been taking special care of her. As part of the rescue effort, a team from the US will be coming to Pakistan to train the animal to hunt. They will later pair her with a male snow leopard from the US and set her free in Naltar village, Gilgit-Baltistan. Such acts of kindness can go a long way in saving the dwindling species.*

*Ali Khurshid is a photographer. You can follow his visual diary on Instagram @alikhurshid1*




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




*Saving trees: Policy on deforestation still a distant dream*
By Shahzad Anwar
Published: May 24, 2015




No official record on deforestation rate in country after 2004.

*ISLAMABAD: Even though Pakistan is among the countries with the highest rate of deforestation, it is yet to have a policy to reverse its fast eroding forest cover.*

A *2004* study conducted by the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) had said *deforestation rate in the country was 27,000 hectares per year*. However, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s state of forest report in *2010 shows a massive increase to 41,000 hectares deforestation per year in Pakistan*.

According to FAO, *Pakistan has the highest rate of deforestation in the world*. The* reasons are: increasing gap between demand and supply of wood, dependence of local populations on forest for livelihood, no mechanism to give incentives or compensations to forest protectors besides climate change factors including drought, floods and fires*.

According to the latest figures released by the of Ministry of Climate Change forest wing, the *country has 5.02 per cent* of its total area under tree cover including trees in private farmlands.

Besides, there is also a lack of official data on forests in the country. There are only two official studies conducted by the federal government office of the inspector general of forests. The first study was conducted in 1992 under forestry sector master plan (FSMP) and the second study was carried out under a forestry sector project through Pakistan Forestry Institute Peshawar in 2004.

According to FSMP, the forest area of the country was 4.8 per cent of the total area, while the 2004 study conducted by PFI revealed deforestation rate was 27,000 hectares per year.

“The forestry was already a devolved subject before the 18th Amendment, because it was never included in the concurrent list,” said an official of forest wing.

The office of Inspector General (IG) of Forest in the ministry of Food and Agriculture had been looking after the forestry affairs before the 18th Amendment in 2010, which devolved the subject of environment to provinces. Officials say the provincial governments too have not taken any concrete steps as yet.

Later, the IG Forest office was shifted to environment ministry. The main function of the forestry wing in the environment ministry was coordination between the provinces and coordination with international agencies in making policies besides research and education.

“The ministry of environment had never infringed upon provincial autonomy, as the forestry had been treated as a provincial subject since 1935, in united India,” the official said adding that* in 1976, the Indian government included forestry into the concurrent list, and owing to this decision India made tremendous progress in increasing its forest cover from 19 per cent to 21 per cent*.

He went on to say that after including forest in the concurrent list, India promulgated Federal Forest Conservation Act 1980, according to which any person or agency acquiring forest land has to provide funds for compensatory afforestation. He said that for this purpose, Indian states developed a land bank and the fund generated were placed under the compensatory aforestation fund management and planning authority (CAMPA).

Studies, he said, revealed that after enforcement of the act, the conversion of forest land for non forest purposes declined to 15,500 hectares in 2010 from 150,000 hectare prior to 1976. Furthermore, the Indian Government took another revolutionary step by establishing the Forest Survey of India (FSI) to undertake independent surveys of forest cover and deforestation, he explained.

Another official at the Ministry of Climate Change forest wing said the ministry supported the provinces through mega *projects worth Rs12 billion from 2007 to 2013 to increase the forest cover by one per cent till 2015*.

“*But after the 18th Amendment, it does not seem possible. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an opportunity to earn approximately $400 million to $1 billion per year by conserving existing forests*,” the official said and stressed that there was a need to engage the community for raising awareness regarding increasing the area of forest cover.

“No forest policy has ever been approved in Pakistan, the latest one was presented before the cabinet in April 2011 which was resisted by provinces on the plea that it was a provincial subject after 18th Amendment and the premier decided to refer it to the Council for Common Interest (CCI),” The IG forest Syed Mehmood Nasir told _The Express Tribune_ and said that REDD was an opportunity for saving Pakistani forests.

However, some foresters are of the views that the steps taken by the provinces of dealing directly with foreign investors, bypassing the federal government have raised fears that foreign investment in REDD may not come if mishandled. They said that there was a need to work together for the case of forests.

_Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2015._

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## S.U.R.B.

IrbiS said:


> *Snow leopards have been mandated ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The animal’s total population in Pakistan is estimated to be between 100 and 200. Therefore, as the country’s national heritage animal, it is critical to protect snow leopards and provide a safe habitat for them.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A two-year-old snow leopard was recently rescued by a local of Sost village in upper Hunza. PHOTO: ALI KHURSHID
> 
> *Recently, a local, Farmaan Raza, of Sost village in upper Hunza rescued a two-year-old snow leopard from a partially frozen river. He designed a large cage to protect the animal and has been taking special care of her. As part of the rescue effort, a team from the US will be coming to Pakistan to train the animal to hunt. They will later pair her with a male snow leopard from the US and set her free in Naltar village, Gilgit-Baltistan. Such acts of kindness can go a long way in saving the dwindling species.*
> 
> *Ali Khurshid is a photographer. You can follow his visual diary on Instagram @alikhurshid1*



@IrbiS Isn't it the same male snow leopard that we have mentioned before?

Leo the snow leopard, that was rescued by a goat herder and then was sent to the United states.
A good sequel.I hope she stays here and gets to see what's their natural habitat in Pakistan has to offer and that the mating proves to be fruitful for the species.


2 very fascinating success stories.

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## IrbiS

S.U.R.B. said:


> @IrbiS Isn't it the same male snow leopard that we have mentioned before?
> 
> Leo the snow leopard, that was rescued by a goat herder and then was sent to the United states.
> A good sequel.I hope she stays here and gets to see what's their natural habitat in Pakistan has to offer and that the mating proves to be fruitful for the species.
> 
> 
> 2 very fascinating success stories.




Leo was rescued in 2005, still a tiny cub then. This young girl is two years old and a team from U.S will come to teach her hunting skills and then get her a boy from states

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## IrbiS

*Found an old piece but really Interesting*


*A walk on the wild side*
Sunday Magazine Feature
By Muhammad Adil Mulki
Published: January 29, 2012

























*The caravan cautiously passed through the arid landscape of Balochistan. Sand dunes, piles of rock and expanses of tall, dried grass — the last a reminder of the healthy monsoon that had visited earlier — stretched to the horizon. It was dusk and the travellers were wary of the elusive shadows that moved in the grass like phantoms at the edge of their vision. The setting sun itself was an enemy, painting the grass in hues of red, saffron and magenta — perfect camouflage for the stalkers hiding in it.*

The men of the caravan held their weapons ready to face an ambush from what could have been a lone attacker or a horde of killers.

This is not the present, but rather a scene from centuries past. The travellers are not an FC convoy or transporters carrying Nato supplies, but nomads searching for pasture, or else traders plying an ancient route. And the predators are not militants, insurgents or bandits but the wolves, cheetahs and lions that once ruled this land.

I won’t blame you for thinking that this is the figment of an imagination running wild. But the reality is that the territories which now comprise Pakistan once boasted of wildlife rivalling that of today’s African safaris!

*Can’t outrun extinction*

Once a healthy population of Asiatic cheetahs patrolled huge tracts of land from Arabia and Iran to Central Asia and India — and present-day Pakistan was smack in the middle of its territory. So common were cheetahs in the subcontinent that even their name fact comes from the Sanskrit “chitra kayah”, meaning speckled or spotted (chitra) and body or form (kayah). The same is true for the Chital — the spotted deer of the Indian subcontinent. Being the fastest land animal, the cheetah could easily catch up with the Chital when these two shared territory. Speed, however, could not save it from near extinction in Asia — less than 100 are believed to be alive today, and almost all are in the Iranian deserts bordering Pakistan. In contrast to the spotted predator, its spotted prey has been able to survive in India’s riverine forests as well as new habitats worldwide where it has been introduced.

Due to its relatively less aggressive nature and potential for being trained, the Asiatic cheetah was used for hunting by the nawabs and rajas of India and the Bedouins of Arabia alike. However, no raja could rescue it from other hunters and from human encroachment on its territory.

Given that the cheetah became virtually extinct in Pakistan only within the past 50 years, it’s no wonder that anecdotes about a cheetah’s speed and agility are still common in folk tales and that it frequently appears in the ad campaigns of clever marketeers. This spotted feline is also immortalised in local street lingo, and being called a ‘cheetah’ is something to be proud of.

*The King is dead, long live the logo!*

Next on the Pakistani safari of yore we have, or rather had, the Asiatic lion which once ranged from Europe to the North Eastern regions of India. With its impressive roar and shaggy mane, the lion has sparked the imagination of painters and poets — and at least one Pakistani political party. While it no longer stalks its ancient habitat, it features in folklore, children’s stories, religious mythology, and the flags and coats-of-arms of numerous nations throughout Europe and Asia.

West of Pakistan, the Persian rulers regarded the lion as a symbol of power and various dynasties used the Sher-o-Khurshid insignia, where a lion appears with the sun in the background. Sometimes a sword — “Shamsheer” — is also present, at times in the lion’s forepaw. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1979 revolution that the lion finally disappeared from the Iranian flag. In ancient India, the Asiatic lion appears on the “Lion Capital of Ashoka”, an ancient structure from which the national emblem of India is adapted. Ashoka’s lions appear everywhere in India, from currency notes to postage stamps. That is how deeply rooted the Asiatic lion is in the cultures both east and west of Pakistan, which itself was once lion country.

And the lion still lives in Pakistan, albeit as a logo. The Asiatic lion can be observed in regal pose looking down on nine-to-fivers from its perch atop buildings in Pakistan’s financial hubs, as modified versions of the Persian “Sher-o-Khurshid” insignia have been incorporated into the logos of Habib Bank Limited, Habib Metropolitan Bank and others.

In Karachi, the British installed a huge marble statue of Queen Victoria in the gardens of Frere Hall. The statue was guarded by graceful Asiatic lions cast in dull metal. Ironically, the lions were first moved to the zoo and then removed from public sight altogether. Decades later, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of them basking in the sun in the backyard of Mohatta Palace. Queen Victoria stood beside it, melancholically covered in dust, and with a broken nose, her ‘pride’ like those of the lions’ — now history. The fate of the real Asiatic lions in Pakistani territories is no less tragic. The last of the species was killed in 1842 near Kot Diji in Sindh.

In the early 1900s the nawab of Junagadh, a princely state that is now part of the Indian state of Gujrat, discovered that only 13 lions remained in his kingdom. He was so concerned that he declared the Gir forest as a protected area for preserving the Asiatic lions. Today, the nawab’s estate is gone, but thanks to him, the Gir Forest National Park is the only place on the planet where the lion kings of Asia still rule. According to the latest lion census carried out in 2010, more than 400 lions inhabit the park and its surroundings.

The Persian word sher specifically refers to lions. However, in India it has come to mean both lion and tiger. With the near extinction of the Asiatic lion, even the Hindu deity Durga, often called Maa Sheranwali, is mostly depicted sitting on a tiger and only occasionally riding a lion! Similarly, the Hindi word for tiger — ‘wagh’ or ‘bagh’ — is interchangeably used for lions as well. The British who ruled India also fell victim to this confusion. Rudyard Kipling once came across an Afghan prince who had adopted the title of ‘Sher Khan’. This title had originally been given to Sher Shah Suri, the original ‘lion king’, a few centuries earlier, after he had killed a tiger single-handedly. The logic was that only a lion, the king of the jungle, could kill a tiger — hence Sher Khan, The Lion King. However, when Kipling sat down to write The Jungle Book — lo and behold, his ‘Sher Khan’ turned out to be a Bengal tiger! Unlike people, it seems misunderstandings do not need a visa to cross borders. In fact, the confusion continues within Pakistan as well, and the PML-N’s ‘Sher’ is also sometimes a lion and at others a tiger!

*A bull in blues*

Next in our safari we have an animal which, like the lions, has to cope with both the threat of extinction and identity crisis. Meet the Nilgai, literally meaning the blue bull.

I grew up listening to stories of my grandfather hunting these creatures. Once his cousin shot a forest officer’s prized horse at dusk as it came to have a drink at the watering hole after grazing in the woods. The guilty lad said he thought the horse was a Nilgai!

The shooting had to be followed-up with an extensive cover-up to avoid the wrath of the officer, but the story always left me perplexed. As a child, I imagined a Nilgai to be a fat cow in Smurf blue and hence could not fathom a horse being mistaken for one. Since then, I’ve had the fortune to observe quite a few Nilgai in Pakistan albeit either in private collections or public zoos. The Nilgai is actually neither a horse nor cattle but an antelope — the largest Asian antelope for that matter and is second in size only to the African eland. In hindsight, it is very much possible to confuse its “hind side” for a horse’s in a shady wooded area at twilight. However, I still suspect there was some youthful mischief and the general mood of the Independence-movement that decided the poor horse’s fate.

Today, Nilgai survive in small numbers in the wild in Pakistan along the Eastern border with India. Sightings are reported around the Nagarparkar area and near Bahawalpur. When imported lions were released in a protected enclosure in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur, some Nilgais were reported to have been enclosed accidentally — their outcome? Let’s just say the lions took their share.

*The dilemma of a horn*

Mistaken identities have had disastrous consequences for some species. For centuries, Western cultures searched for a shy mythical creature with magical powers. The creature was said to be similar to beautiful white horses with silky flowing manes and poetic eyes. Its distinguishing feature was a single horn on the forehead. Enter — the unicorn!

During the dark ages, there was great demand for unicorn horns in Europe which were required to prepare various magical potions and pseudo-medical concoctions. Quacks satiated this demand with the excavated tusks of long-extinct mammoths and those of Narwhal whales killed specifically for the purpose. All this carried on until the famous explorer Marco Polo came across a bulky two tonne creature with dark greyish armoured skin and short stumpy legs. Unfortunately, the Indian rhinoceros seen by Polo had the distinct single horn on its forehead. The West had finally found its unicorn in the Rhinoceros “Unicornis” — the scientific name given to the Indian rhino. Already in demand in Asian cultures for ancient medicines and ornamental reasons, rhino horns now had a new market, and rhinos had a new set of enemies.

No safari, not even a Pakistani one would be complete without rhinos. The Indian rhinos once roamed freely throughout Punjab and the Indus plains, and their importance for the ancient Indus civilisation can be judged from the seals on display at the Moenjodaro museum. Another famous explorer, Ibn-e-Batoota, also wrote about them in travel notes for territories now comprising Pakistan. These four-legged tanks were once even hunted by Emperor Babur near Peshawar. Scenes from these hunts have been preserved in Mughal miniatures and adorn the walls of museums. According to IUCN’s Red List, the Indian one horned rhinoceros is ‘vulnerable’ — a classification just below “endangered’ — primarily due to some areas in India in which it is strictly protected.

Hunting rhinos was not the only way the Mughals passed their time. They were fond of beautiful and practical architecture too. All across the Indian subcontinent, forts and walled cities they built have been influenced by one animal more than any other — elephants. Mughal buildings, especially forts, owe much of their enormity to these gentle giants which the emperors used as royal carriage as well as a weapon of war. I much awed by the ‘Haathi Gate’ of Lahore’s Shahi Fort and upon research, it dawned on me that many other forts and palaces across Indo-Pakistan have similarly huge passageways with the same name.

Wild elephants were always more common in the lands east of the Indus. They roamed the rain forests and toiled away as domesticated beasts of burden and as engines of war. Centuries before the Mughals, Europeans had their first glimpse of these creatures as weapons of war during Alexander’s face-off with Raja Porus in the Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum). Today, not a single wild Asiatic elephant remains in Pakistani territory and only a few remain in captivity.

*Paradise Lost*

The empires of Alexander, the Mughals, the British and others, all reached their zenith and then disintegrated into fragments and faded into history. The only ‘kingdom’ to have survived them all is the animal kingdom. But that too, is now engaged in a battle for survival which it seems to be losing. The fragmentation of ranges has already taken place and what were once seamless swathes of undisputable constituencies of majestic animals are now ‘developed’ or ‘agricultural’ areas, with animal habitat surviving only on the fringes. In some countries animals are frequently ‘flown in’ and ‘out’ of these fragments in order to enrich the gene pools of the systems. Such frivolities are brushed off in Pakistan. After this fragmentation, the next logical step for all the kings and their heirs is a transition from the present into the annals of history. I can assure the reader from personal experience that inheriting trophies and family hunting stories is cool but a chance to see wildlife in its natural grandeur is cooler.

With this we come to the end of our safari. Interestingly, the Swahili word ‘safari’ meaning ‘great journey’ came to be used for the long journeys undertaken by Europeans for hunting African wildlife. The Urdu word ‘safar’, meaning journey, comes from the same root. The next time someone mentions African safaris, you can smile knowing that Pakistani wildlife has more in common with African safaris than you may have imagined.

The illustration of Ibn-e-Batuta is courtesy: © Oxford University Press Pakistan 2012 (Title: A Children’s History of Sindh by Hamida Khuhro; Illustrator: Sana Nasir)

_Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 29th, 2012._

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## IrbiS

*@S.U.R.B. *Leo is coming back from states
*http://tribune.com.pk/story/895434/himalayan-leo-pakistan-to-seek-return-of-snow-leopard-from-us/*
*http://tribune.com.pk/story/895434/himalayan-leo-pakistan-to-seek-return-of-snow-leopard-from-us/*
*Himalayan Leo: Pakistan to seek return of snow leopard from US *
By Our Correspondent
Published: June 1, 2015




File photo of Leo from 2013

*ISLAMABAD: The federal government plans to ask for the return of a male snow leopard being kept at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.*

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan has said that as chairman of the Global Snow Leopard Committee, he will play his part to get back the leopard. Snow leopards are indigenous to the Himalayan region and are an endangered species.

The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Forest Secretary, Sajjad Haider, recently held a detailed meeting with the minister here and requested him to push the US government for return of the snow leopard, said a statement by the ministry on Sunday.

Khan has told the forest secretary to write a formal letter to the climate change ministry and then he would take up the matter with the US authorities for return of the snow leopard named “Leo”.

Haider informed the minister the orphaned snow leopard cub was recovered from a shepherd at Naltar Valley, G-B, in 2005 and temporarily shifted to Bronx Zoo, New York, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the World Conservation Society and the G-B administration in 2006 for care and inclusion in their snow leopard breeding programme.

“The snow leopard was a cub then and was handed over to the Bronx Zoo authorities as Pakistan lacked proper facilities,” Haider told the minister.

He added it was agreed between the two organisations that the cub would remain at the zoo until an appropriate facility for captive snow leopards was constructed in Pakistan.

Leo was able to breed at the Bronx Zoo and is now a father.

Under the MoU, the society had also agreed to return Leo to Pakistan possibly with some females after a few years. Pakistan was also required to develop adequate facilities for a rehabilitation centre for the possible return of the leopard.

When contacted, an official of the Wildlife Department of Pakistan said they would be able to accommodate the leopard in a specially built enclosure in its natural habitat in G-B.

_Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2015. _

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## S.U.R.B.

IrbiS said:


> *@S.U.R.B. *Leo is coming back from states
> *Himalayan Leo: Pakistan to seek return of snow leopard from US *
> By Our Correspondent
> Published: June 1, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> File photo of Leo from 2013
> 
> *ISLAMABAD: The federal government plans to ask for the return of a male snow leopard being kept at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.*
> 
> Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan has said that as chairman of the Global Snow Leopard Committee, he will play his part to get back the leopard. Snow leopards are indigenous to the Himalayan region and are an endangered species.
> 
> The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Forest Secretary, Sajjad Haider, recently held a detailed meeting with the minister here and requested him to push the US government for return of the snow leopard, said a statement by the ministry on Sunday.
> 
> Khan has told the forest secretary to write a formal letter to the climate change ministry and then he would take up the matter with the US authorities for return of the snow leopard named “Leo”.
> 
> Haider informed the minister the orphaned snow leopard cub was recovered from a shepherd at Naltar Valley, G-B, in 2005 and temporarily shifted to Bronx Zoo, New York, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the World Conservation Society and the G-B administration in 2006 for care and inclusion in their snow leopard breeding programme.
> 
> “The snow leopard was a cub then and was handed over to the Bronx Zoo authorities as Pakistan lacked proper facilities,” Haider told the minister.
> 
> He added it was agreed between the two organisations that the cub would remain at the zoo until an appropriate facility for captive snow leopards was constructed in Pakistan.
> 
> Leo was able to breed at the Bronx Zoo and is now a father.
> 
> Under the MoU, the society had also agreed to return Leo to Pakistan possibly with some females after a few years. Pakistan was also required to develop adequate facilities for a rehabilitation centre for the possible return of the leopard.
> 
> When contacted, an official of the Wildlife Department of Pakistan said they would be able to accommodate the leopard in a specially built enclosure in its natural habitat in G-B.
> 
> _Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2015. _




Hurray!
Great news mate.It's like a gift.Many thanks for sharing.
And it's seems very natural or logical however we put it.

Come back home ,my boy.You are most welcome!
A great success story.Something that most deservedly requires the media attention.
Though some special accommodation will be available for the furry guy but one can vouch for it that even in the wild he'll love to see or be close to the human visitors.

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## IrbiS

S.U.R.B. said:


> Hurray!
> Great news mate.It's like a gift.Many thanks for sharing.
> And it's seems very natural or logical however we put it.
> 
> Come back home ,my boy.You are most welcome!
> A great success story.Something that most deservedly requires the media attention.
> Though some special accommodation will be available for the furry guy but one can vouch for it that even in the wild he'll love to see or be close to the human visitors.




Even more highlighted news than this is published in our papers 3-4 days late.


A female will also be brought and I pray they make more kids than all sub-continental people!

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## Faizan Qadeer

Amazing Pictures - Maza Agya


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## S.U.R.B.

These days i'm seeing a Bat as big as a brown eagle & it's happening quite often for the last 4 months.
She visits my place ..the trees in my lawn.I can see her at unusual times but it's always in the dark.Quite bigger wing span.I'll say 2 feet on both sides of her body.


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## ghazi52

........................ Markhor .........
..
....



...........

......................
With curlicue horns that resemble coiled snakes, the markhor proudly represents Pakistan as the country’s national mammal. It is also a key prey species for the country’s endangered snow leopards and other carnivores. But these “mountain monarchs,” as they were called by WCS conservationist Dr. George Schaller in his seminal 1977 book of the same name, have suffered population declines over the decades.




Since Schaller’s 1970s studies, WCS has helped seed more than 50 community conservation committees throughout northern Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, in addition to an umbrella organization called the Mountain Conservation and Development Programme.



The hard work has paid off, with markhor numbers up by as much as 60 percent in Gilgit-Baltistan, where WCS trains rangers to monitor wildlife and enforce hunting and resource use regulations. Rangers have managed to stamp out illegal hunting and logging in most of the valleys where they operate.



Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director of Asia programs, explains, “We are thrilled that markhor conservation efforts in Pakistan are paying off. Markhor are part of Pakistan’s natural heritage, and we are proud to be assisting the communities of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Government of Pakistan to safeguard this iconic species.”



Going forward, WCS will also employ a new tactic: markhor conservancies. By linking village committees together, conservationists ensure protection for markhor as they travel between steep-sided mountain terrains.

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## IrbiS

S.U.R.B. said:


> These days i'm seeing a Bat as big as a brown eagle & it's happening quite often for the last 4 months.
> She visits my place ..the trees in my lawn.I can see her at unusual times but it's always in the dark.Quite bigger wing span.I'll say 2 feet on both sides of her body.



Flying Fox / Fruit Bat janaab

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## S.U.R.B.

IrbiS said:


> Flying Fox / Fruit Bat janaab



Exactly.She loves my Jambolan/Jamun tree.


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## IrbiS

S.U.R.B. said:


> Exactly.She loves my Jambolan/Jamun tree.



So you are taking active part in saving animals 

Check later will post old writing of the same author whose ''A walk on wide side'' is on previous page

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## IrbiS



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## [Bregs]

oh nice this snow leopard is very shy, rare and highly endangered animal and must be fiercely protected


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## IrbiS

*Balochistan defends Houbara Bustard hunts by Arab royals*
By Hasnaat Malik
Published: August 11, 2015
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Houbara Bustard. PHOTO: CREATIVE COMMONS

*ISLAMABAD: The Balochistan government on Tuesday defended issuing hunting licenses to Arab royals for hunting Houbara bustards in the province, arguing that there was legal provision to allow hunts under specific guidelines in addition to permits being issued for a small number of birds. It further requested the Supreme Court to allow the practice under a strict code of conduct.*

Additional Advocate General Balochistan, while submitting the provincial government’s reply in the apex court on alleged illegal hunting permits issued to Gulf royals, argued that since the Houbara Bustard was a migratory bird, its hunting may be allowed in limited numbers under strict supervision of the provincial forest and wildlife department. It added that petition was devoid of merit and should thus be dismissed.

The Supreme Court is hearing a petition against illegal hunting permits issued to royal visitors from Gulf countries to hunt the rare bird despite a ban.

The petitioner requested the bench to cancel all licences issued for hunting Houbara Bustards, further urging the court to restrain the Foreign Office from issuing such permits to foreigners with strict action against officials who issued the licenses.

Read: K-P govt refuses hunting permits to royalty

The court had sought comprehensive reports from all provincial governments regarding ‘illegal’ issuance of hunting permits to foreign visitors.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had already submitted its reply in the apex court stating that it had refused a request from the Foreign Office to issue permits to royals.

However, on Tuesday, only the Balochistan government submitted a reply.

The reply added that the provincial government had issued the licenses in view of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC)’s May 2014 decision, which allowed the provincial government to issue permits for hunting 100 birds from November 15 to February 15 with a fee of Rs10 million.

It rejected the petitioner’s claim that 2,200 birds were killed in the season, exceeding the set limit by 2,100 birds.

Read: SC questions hunting permits to royalty

The federal government is signatory of treaties and conventions at international forums and the same complied with the provincial governments, the reply added.

The Balochistan government further argued that according to the Section 10 of the Balochistan Wildlife (protection, preservation, conversation and management) Act 2014, a protected animal meant wild animals included in schedule III of the act. However in part –D of schedule -I in the same Act, a provision exists for hunting of particular species, including the Houbara Bustard.

It was also stated that forest and wildlife department ensured the protection of Houbara Bustards and other birds through vigilance, strict enforcement of law and imposition of heavy penalties including imprisonment for violators.

Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman had requested the bench to club together all related petitions, noting that the federal government had not issued any hunting permit after verdicts of Balochistan High Court and Sindh High Courts.

Read: Where there is Houbara Bustard, there is money

The bench had clubbed all the petitions including a plea of an individual against BHC’s November 2014 order, wherein the hunting of Houbara Bustrad was declared illegal.

Meanwhile, another petitioner contended before the Supreme Court that hunting by Arab royals was favourable for the people of the area as dignitaries coming for the purpose not only established ‘certain beneficial projects’ but also paid millions in hunting fees.

It argued that the because of the Balochistan High Court’s verdict, the government was facing a loss.

The hearing of case was adjourned until Wednesday.

*Areas allocated for hunting*

According to a Foreign Office circular, areas were being allocated in four provinces for eleven dignitaries from Qatar.

They would have hunted in Khushab, Jhang, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar and Layyah in Punjab; Jacobabad, in Sindh; Turbat, Loralai Muskhel, Mushkel Kalat and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan.

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## ghazi52

..............................
.....
*For Saudis and Pakistan, a Bird of Contention*





Pakistanis last year in Baluchistan Province with their catch of houbara bustard. Foreign hunting permits have been canceled. CreditTalha Ali

Pakistan in pursuit of the houbara bustard — a waddling, migratory bird whose meat, they believe, contains aphrodisiac powers.

Little expense is spared for the elaborate winter hunts. Cargo planes fly tents and luxury jeeps into custom-built desert airstrips, followed by private jets carrying the kings and princes of Persian Gulf countries along with their precious charges: expensive hunting falcons that are used to kill the white-plumed houbara.

This year’s hunt, however, has run into difficulty.

It started in November, when the High Court in Baluchistan, the vast and tumultuous Pakistani province that is a favored hunting ground, canceled all foreign hunting permits in response to complaints from conservationists.

Those experts say the houbara’s habitat, and perhaps the long-term survival of the species, which is already considered threatened, has been endangered by the ferocious pace of hunting.

That legal order ballooned into a minor political crisis last week when a senior Saudi prince and his entourage landed in Baluchistan, attracting unusually critical media attention and a legal battle that is scheduled to reach the country’s Supreme Court in the coming days.







Anger among conservationists was heightened by the fact that the prince — Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the governor of Tabuk province — along with his entourage had killed 2,100 houbara over 21 days during last year’s hunt, according to an official report leaked to the Pakistani news media, or about 20 times more than his allocated quota.

Still, Prince Fahd faced little censure when he touched down in Dalbandin, a dusty town near the Afghan border on Wednesday, to be welcomed by a delegation led by a cabinet minister and including senior provincial officials.

His reception was a testament, critics say, to the money-driven magnetism of Saudi influence in Pakistan, and the walk-on role of the humble bustard in cementing that relationship.

“This is a clear admission of servility to the rich Arabs,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy, a physics professor and longtime critic of what he calls “Saudization” in Pakistan. “They come here, hunt with impunity, and are given police protection in spite of the fact that they are violating local laws.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/world/for-saudis-and-pakistan-a-bird-of-contention.html?_r=0
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## ghazi52

........................ . . . . . .....................................................
*Vulture conservation project launched amid rapid decline in bird’s population*






A FLOCK of vultures feed on an animal carcass in a Nagarparkar village.

KARACHI: A project to protect and conserve vulture population was launched on Monday in the Nagarparkar area of Tharparkar district at a ceremony held at the office of a non-governmental organisation.

The two NGOs collaborating in the project are the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Baanhn Beli.

“The principal reason for the rapid and alarming decline in the vulture population is the use of a pain-killer, diclofenac, normally administered to livestock, that also increases the recipient’s weight and milk producing capacity,” they said.

The drug, they said, had proved to be fatal for the internal organs of vultures, that scavenged on animal carcasses.

“A similar decline in vulture population has been seen in India, Nepal and several countries in Africa. In 2006, the Pakistan government had banned production and use of veterinary medicines containing diclofenac to save vulture population in this country but unauthorised human use of the drug continues, posing an abiding threat to this remarkable species,” said Nadeem Mirbahar representing the IUCN at the ceremony.

He informed the audience that the IUCN had set up its Asia regional steering committee on vultures in 2012 and the ministry of climate change also notified its national vulture recovery committee in the same year to ensure better IUCN-govt coordination for vulture conservation at the national level.

The adverse effects of the decline in vulture population had already been known, he said, adding that some of them were contamination of soil and water, infection in other animal species and human beings, increase in the number of feral dogs that fed on the dead animals and threaten human beings with infection.

Mr Mirbahar underlined the need for creating awareness of the bird’s importance that was usually looked down upon as an ugly, dirty and smelly creature.

Speaking on similar lines, Baanhn Beli president Dr Shankar Lal said that the bird had become a highly endangered species in Pakistan in recent years. Concerted efforts at the local, provincial, national and regional levels were required to prepare and implement an effective strategy for its protection and conservation, he stressed.

“Serving as a unique scavenger bird for 50 million years, the bird cleans the landscape from dead or rotting carcasses and is a vital link in the web of nature and ecosystems,” he observed.

According to him, the vulture population in Pakistan has steeply declined over the past two decades. Nagarparkar taluka is one of only two or three areas in the country where small colonies of vultures exist.

Over 200 residents of villages in Nagarparkar taluka participated in the launching ceremony, which was also attended by volunteer-leaders of Baanhn Beli and officials of the wildlife and forest departments as well as the local administration.

....................................

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## New Resolve

Unless hunting is strictly regulated, poaching checked and wildlife reserves created all is lost. Over population is another threat to wildlife areas.


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## LeslieEngel

Nice post. Thanks for the share.


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## IrbiS

*Falconry: the demonisation of a noble art*
ByKamran Khan YousafZai
Published: November 2, 2015
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The writer is president of the Pakistan Falconry Association, officer of the Sub-Continent International Association for Falconry and Conservation Birds of Prey, and a member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management

It seems that it is our national pastime to trivialise things.Falconry, prized as a noble art and a great field sport during Mughal rule, has received bad publicity in recent times. The government’s petition in the Supreme Court seeking to lift the ban onhoubara bustardhunting has sparked much controversy. It remains to be seen whether the apex Court rescinds its previous decision or not, but that there’s general lack of public awareness about the whole issue is evident.

To start with, hawks, eagles and falcons have been used in falconry since times immemorial. Falconry is the art of catching quarry with trained species of the falcon in a sustainable manner. During the period when the use of pesticides, such as DDT, caused a considerable decrease in the peregrine population, falconers in the West developed techniques for domestic breeding of falcons to reintroduce them to the wild. Needless to say, the peregrine was saved from its near-extinction. The same techniques that were used to rescue it from extinction were also used in the case of the Californian Condor, the Mauritius kestrel and now, vultures.

Due to their remarkable qualities of speed and power, falcons have routinely been alluded to in literary works. Every time there’s a cricket match, for instance, we’d call our national players ‘shaheens’. The works of Allama Iqbal revolve around the majestic attributes of the shaheen. The same is true of the great Pashto poet, Khushal Khan Khattak, who was a professional falconer.

So why all the recent fuss on falconry? Where did things go wrong? Well, it all started with one unfortunate incident in January last year, when some 2,100 houbara bustards were allegedly killed by a Saudi dignitary in Chagai, Balochistan. The incident received widespread coverage in the local and international media and there was an outcry against the way hunting permits were issued by the government to falconers from the Middle East.

No sane person can justify a killing spree of that magnitude, perpetrated in a span of three weeks. Few, however, have bothered to ask about the modus operandi adhered to on the occasion. Even professional ornithologists and conservationists have for some reason overlooked the matter. Anyone, who has the slightest idea about the way falconry is practiced in the field, would instantly point out that it’s simply impossible to hunt that many game-birds with a handful of saker falcons. The whole episode, in fact, is a classic example of misinformation.

Falconry is a natural and sustainable form of hunting. It has been recognised by Unesco as the “intangible cultural heritage of humankind”. As far as the conservation of the houbara bustard is concerned, the raison d’etre of the Supreme Court verdict, all is not lost. Few people in Pakistan know that this year 600 adult houbaras were released in the Lal Suhanra National Park by the UAE-based International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC). It was part of a bigger programme involving 6,000 houbaras, to be released in different countries. Using artificial insemination, well over 45,000 North African and MacQueen’s bustards hatched by the IFHC in its UAE, Morocco and Kazakhstan centres last year, were released into the wild.

Numerous falcon release programmes have been carried out in Pakistan during the past few decades by the same people from the Middle East, who are constantly being lambasted for their passion for falconry. Thanks to the efforts of such conservation programmes and breeding facilities, the houbara is no more an endangered species, as is usually claimed. Its population has been stable since 2004 and is growing steadily according to respected global organisations such as the IUCN and the WWF.

That the houbara is hunted by falconers for its aphrodisiac quality is an outright lie of cosmological scale. The ignorance of people in South Asia with respect to nature and its conservation is shocking. Last year, when security forces in Afghanistan shot a GPS-fitted houbara, it was instantly called a spy agent and people proudly posed for pictures with the poor creature. The fact of the matter was that the bird belonged to an IFHC research programme to track and monitor the bird’s migration pattern.

What’s needed is less emotionalism and politicisation of issues and a more dispassionate discourse. There’s a need for proper legislation and streamlining of the entire canon of wildlife rules and regulations, to curtail problems of smuggling, poaching and violation of law. Like Pakistan and the Middle East, the UK also has a long tradition of falconry and is home to well over 15,000 falconers. Due to the strict implementation of wildlife laws and state vigil, however, the falconer community there practices this millennia-old tradition in a balanced and nature-friendly way. Our state and its organs need to evolve such a mechanism as well.


_Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015._


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## Manidabest

Join WWF Pakistan and spread awareness among Pakistanis about wildlife please WWF-Pakistan

The common leopard is protected under all provincial laws, is typically associated with the moist temperate forest with mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. Historically, four subspecies of the leopard have been listed in the mammals of Pakistan. However, it is difficult to differentiate between the subspecies as the leopards are restricted to the northern Pakistan and other areas have occasional reports on vagrant leopards.






*Habitat*
In Pakistan, it is concentrated in the Moist Temperate forest and important areas of the distribution are from Margalla Hills National Park, Murree Reserve Forest, Ayubia National Park (KP) and adjoining forest of Khyber-Paktunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and there are also occasional reports from desert areas of Punjab which largely show a vagrant animal.

- See more at: Common Leopard

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## krash

Manidabest said:


> Join WWF Pakistan and spread awareness among Pakistanis about wildlife please WWF-Pakistan
> 
> The common leopard is protected under all provincial laws, is typically associated with the moist temperate forest with mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. Historically, four subspecies of the leopard have been listed in the mammals of Pakistan. However, it is difficult to differentiate between the subspecies as the leopards are restricted to the northern Pakistan and other areas have occasional reports on vagrant leopards.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Habitat*
> In Pakistan, it is concentrated in the Moist Temperate forest and important areas of the distribution are from Margalla Hills National Park, Murree Reserve Forest, Ayubia National Park (KP) and adjoining forest of Khyber-Paktunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and there are also occasional reports from desert areas of Punjab which largely show a vagrant animal.
> 
> - See more at: Common Leopard



There are pockets of population in Balochistan as well.


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## Manidabest

krash said:


> There are pockets of population in Balochistan as well.


oh yess they are mostly persian leopards species.... they should be protected .... few sardars have them in private ....

Indus river dolphins

The Indus River dolphin, locally known as _bhulan_ is a freshwater dwelling cetacean species found in the Indus River, Pakistan. It is a flagship species and is an indicator of the biological health of aquatic and terrestrial environment adjoining the Indus River. The current distribution range of the Indus River dolphin is about 1000 km stretch of the Indus River which includes main Indus channel and active channels connected to it between Jinnah and Kotri barrages.

The existing population of Indus River dolphin is about 1300 dolphins found between Chashma and Kotri barrages in the Indus River.
The government of Sindh designated a 200 km stretch of the Indus River between Guddu and Sukkur barrages as the ‘Indus Dolphin Reserve’ in 1974. It is a legally Protected Area holding the largest population of Indus River dolphin. It is also an important bird area and an internationally recognised Ramsar site.

The Indus River dolphin is characterized by a long beak, rounded belly, stocky body, very small dorsal fin and large flippers. This species is also referred to as the ‘blind dolphin’ as its eye hasn't developed a lens. It relies on echolocation (sound sensors) to find fish, shrimp, and other prey in the bottom mud.

The Indus River dolphin swims on its side, at times enabling it to move in water as shallow as 30 cm. As it swims on its side, it trails a flipper along the bottom of the river. After 30 to 60 seconds, when it needs to breathe, it swims to the surface, rotates upright to take in the air, and then rotates 90 degrees again as it swims back to the bottom. It migrates upstream into the smaller tributaries during the monsoon rains and migrates downstream to the main channels in the dry season. 

The Indus River Dolphin is blind but it can still differentiate between light and dark!


The side swimming behaviour of Indus River Dolphin is not consistently seen in any other dolphin, except the Ganges River Dolphin. - See more at: The Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor)


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## ghazi52

.....................................................
*SC lifts ban on houbara bustard hunting*







ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the ban on hunting of tiloor, an indigenous game bird also known as houbara bustard.

While reviewing its last year’s judgement, a five-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali announced its judgment over the federal and provincial governments review petitions against the court’s verdict on the ban on houbara bustard hunting.

However, one of the judges Justice Qazi Faez Isa while writing a dissenting note opposed the court’s decision to conditionally allow hunting of houbara bustard.

But the federal and provincial governments asked the court to review the decision, claiming that controlled hunting was a tool for preservation and should be allowed.

Wealthy hunting parties from the Gulf travel to Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province every winter to kill the houbara bustard using hunting falcons.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature includes the bird on its “red list” of threatened species, estimating there are fewer than 97,000 left globally.

The issue has also cast a spotlight on traditionally close ties between Pakistan and its allies in the Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Balochistan High Court in November 2014 cancelled all permits for hunting in the province, but the federal government headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif — a close ally of Saudi Arabia — continued to issue licenses.

In a judgement issued Friday, the court said it had set aside its original decision to ban hunting of the bird and that petitions on the issue would be listed for fresh hearings.

Sharif, along with powerful military chief General Raheel Sharif, visited Riyadh earlier this week in what his office said was an effort to ease tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Pakistan has deep military connections with Saudi Arabia and it has long benefited from the oil-rich kingdom’s largesse.

The prime minister has close personal ties with the Saudi royal family, who sheltered him during years in exile.

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has authored the main judgment wherein he set aside the three judge bench’s August 19 verdict regarding the ban on hunting. Three judges, including the chief justice, endorsed his judgment.

In August, the court imposed a ban on the hunting of endangered birds and ordered the cancelation of all existing permits issued by the government.

By removing the ban on hunting, SC upheld the government’s request to lift the ban, while quashing Balochistan High Court’s decision.

Earlier this month, the top court reserved its judgment over the federal and three provincial governments’ review petitions against the ban on hunting of tiloor.

The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, headed by former chief justice Justice Jawad S Khawaja on August 19, put a complete ban on the hunting of the bird. Later, several petitioners – including federal, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan governments – filed review petitions in the apex court.

On January 5, Chief Justice Jamali formed a five-judge larger bench also including Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Iqbal Hameed Ur Rehman, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Qazi Faez Isa to hear the review petitions.

......


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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

* Indus Dolphin – found in the Indus River, Sindh*

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

*Asiatic endangered Pangolin - found in northern Punjab and parts of Balochistan.

*

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## ghazi52

Snow Leopard ( National Heritage Animal Of Pakistan ) 

Found in the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhua, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir















Wildlife:Ibex (Markhor),the national animal.

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## ghazi52

Himalayan Ibex in Gilgit Baltistan







baby green turtle at hawke's bay

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## [Bregs]

ghazi52 said:


> * Indus Dolphin – found in the Indus River, Sindh*



This might be and endangered n protected species of dolphins


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## ghazi52

[Bregs] said:


> This might be and endangered n protected species of dolphins



The Indus River dolphin (*Platanista* minor) is one of the world's rarest *mammals* and the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. Approximately 1,100 specimens of this species exist today in a small fraction of their former range, the lower reaches of the Indus River in Pakistan.






Indus river dolphins are one of only four river dolphin species and subspecies in the world that spend all of their lives in freshwater. They are believed to have originated in the ancient Tethys Sea. When the sea dried up approximately 50 million years ago, the dolphins were forced to adapt to its only remaining habitat—rivers. Only about 1,100 exist today in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan. Numbers declined dramatically after the construction of an irrigation system. Most dolphins are confined to a 750 mile stretch of the river and divided into isolated populations by six barrages. They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind. They rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey including prawns, catfish and carp.

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## ghazi52

*Villagers kill leopard in AJK’s Leepa valley*







The villagers said they killed the big cat with the help of police in self-defence. 


MUZAFFARABAD: Villagers on Tuesday killed a leopard in the Mandal area of Leepa Valley in Hattian Bala district, some 100 kilometres away from the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The villagers said they killed the big cat with the help of police in self-defence.

Deputy Commissioner Hattian Bala Hamid Kayani told_ The Express Tribune_ that the leopard had killed five cattle heads in different villages of Leepa in half an hour before straying into the residential areas.

“The villagers tried their best to scare the big cat away but it became more violent and started charging at them,” he added. “In the end, the villagers sought help from the local police who then killed the leopard to save human lives.”

The director of AJK’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department, Nayeem Iftikhar Dar, said he has ordered an inter-departmental inquiry into the killing of the big cat.

“We have eight watchers in Leepa Valley and if they could not save the endangered leopard then they will have to face the music,” he added. “Leopard is one of the big cats found in the Himalayas region and is living in the upper reaches of Neelum and Leepa valleys.”

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## [Bregs]

ghazi52 said:


> *Villagers kill leopard in AJK’s Leepa valley*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The villagers said they killed the big cat with the help of police in self-defence.
> 
> 
> MUZAFFARABAD: Villagers on Tuesday killed a leopard in the Mandal area of Leepa Valley in Hattian Bala district, some 100 kilometres away from the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
> 
> The villagers said they killed the big cat with the help of police in self-defence.
> 
> Deputy Commissioner Hattian Bala Hamid Kayani told_ The Express Tribune_ that the leopard had killed five cattle heads in different villages of Leepa in half an hour before straying into the residential areas.
> 
> “The villagers tried their best to scare the big cat away but it became more violent and started charging at them,” he added. “In the end, the villagers sought help from the local police who then killed the leopard to save human lives.”
> 
> The director of AJK’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department, Nayeem Iftikhar Dar, said he has ordered an inter-departmental inquiry into the killing of the big cat.
> 
> “We have eight watchers in Leepa Valley and if they could not save the endangered leopard then they will have to face the music,” he added. “Leopard is one of the big cats found in the Himalayas region and is living in the upper reaches of Neelum and Leepa valleys.”




First man encroaches land of forest area and then kills wild life animals when they try to take back there territory

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## ghazi52

[Bregs] said:


> First man encroaches land of forest area and then kills wild life animals when they try to take back there territory


True.
We should leave them to enjoy. like we are.

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## [Bregs]

ghazi52 said:


> True.
> We should leave them to enjoy. like we are.



Wild animals attack domestic animals when there prey in wild life is not available, this happens when man starts hunting there prey for its own greed

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## ghazi52

Birds of Sindh (South Pakistan )








Markhor (Ibex ),Pakistan's national animal

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## ghazi52

Mountain Lynx

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## krash

ghazi52 said:


> Markhor (Ibex ),Pakistan's national animal



Markhor is not Ibex, Ibex is not Markhor. Markhor is Markhor, Ibex is Ibex. And those are Ibex.


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## ghazi52

Beautiful Ibex near khanjrab pass Gilgit Baltistan

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## ghazi52

*Meet the Pakistani banker who turned to photography to save wildlife*
ZOFEEN T. EBRAHIM


In his floppy hat, flak jacket and carrying heavy equipment, Mirza Naim Beg looks a typical wildlife photographer. Only when you start talking to him do you find an ex-banker who took early retirement to follow his passion.

His previous incarnation firmly behind him, Beg is now known as the man who organises increasingly popular wildlife viewing tours across Pakistan. And ever since he was persuaded by a friend three years ago to join the FaceBook page Birds Of Pakistan, he has held three exhibitions, conducted wildlife photography workshops as well as lectures. “Now I maintain a page called Birds Of Sindh on FaceBook,” he says with pride.

“During these three years, many (people) in and around Karachi including Larkana, Mithi and Kathore who have long lenses, love wildlife and didn’t know where to go have joined me in helping raise awareness of our wildlife and focus on conservation. So far, I have recorded around 180 bird species of Sindh and above 200 across the country,” he tells thethirdpole.net.

Beg is worried about the threats humans pose to the birds. “Threats to our wildlife include the burgeoning human population, boom in real estate development, uncontrolled hunting of game birds like Grey Francolin, migratory birds and trigger-happy hunters shooting during the breeding season, netting and sale both for meals and business,” he says. “Loss of habitat has been predominantly due to the real estate expansion in places like DHA phase 8 of Karachi, where I have recorded more than 30 bird species that will not be there in years to come.”

Here is Beg’s own selection of birds photographed by him.






The Eurasian Golden Oriole is a summer migrant to South Asia. This bird was photographed on an unusually hot June day in Kallar Kahar in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Eurasian Golden Orioles have also been spotted at Kathore near Karachi, and are expected to continue visiting this part of the world unless forests are wiped out completely







This flock of Greater Flamingos was photographed at Port Qasim in megacity Karachi. They are residents, and their number jumps from June to the end July when they start breeding. This photograph, taken around three years back, launched Beg into wildlife expeditions. Unfortunately, the large number of factories coming up around the port will pose a serious threat to the birds as polluted fumes are being spewed out daily and the mangroves in the area are in danger of being lost. Greater Flamingos eat shrimp from the creek, which gives them the pink tone







Locally known as Hud-Hud, the Hoopoe was once a common sight in cities. They are internal migrants – wintering in Sindh and breeding in northern Pakistan in the summer. But now their population is on the decline due to loss of habitat. They are also victims of a strange myth – some faith healers use the Hoopoe’s beak as a pen’s nib to write ‘taaviz’ (amulet)







Another internal migrant, this Wallcreeper was photographed at Margalla hills near Islamabad last December. They come down from the high Himalayas every winter. The wonderful habitat of Margalla is under threat from new housing schemes. Birders in Islamabad are protesting and trying to limit this invasion







One more summer migrant, the Asian Paradise Flycatcher travels from southern India to the cooler foothills of Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. This male bird was photographed in Kallar Kahar, Punjab, in June. The female is brownish with a smaller tail








These Black Rumped Flameback Woodpeckers were building a nest off the Super Highway from Karachi to Hyderabad in Sindh, only about 20 km from the Karachi toll plaza. Beg has seen this bird in Mirpur Sakro and Haleji lake of Sindh as well








The Blue Whistling Thrush is a resident of Kashmir, where Beg photographed this bird on a riverbank








It is real fun to watch a Pied Kingfisher at work, Beg says. In Bhalwal, Sargodha district, he watched this bird hover over a small pond and then make a vertical dive on the target. Once he got the fish he sat and chewed for few moments, throwing it into the air and then swallowing it. There are four kinds of kingfisher in Pakistan – Pied, White Throated, Common and the rare Crested kingfisher. They can be seen all over the country, wherever there are ponds, rivers or canals








Common Teals are common winter visitors, migrating from Siberia to South Asia. These birds were photographed at a lake in Tando Mohammad Khan, Sindh, in late February. Very often, these birds are prey to hunters with guns or nets, including those without hunting permits






Mirza Naim Beg

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## Zyzz

are there wild lions in Pakistan? like which area?


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## ghazi52

ManiHK said:


> are there wild lions in Pakistan? like which area?


No. 
Pakistan does not have wild lions.


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## krash

ManiHK said:


> are there wild lions in Pakistan? like which area?



They officially went extinct in the 1800s. The tiger officially went extinct in the 1900s. The Asian Rhino went extinct 400 years or so ago.

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## Zyzz

krash said:


> They officially went extinct in the 1800s. The tiger officially went extinct in the 1900s. The Asian Rhino went extinct 400 years or so ago.





ghazi52 said:


> No.
> Pakistan does not have wild lions.



are there any other animals on the current extinct list in Pakistan?


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## ghazi52

Two bears reared in bear rescue center chakwal were successfully released back to the wild yesterday. After a long journey when the cages were opened they never looked back to the keepers . After eating herbs they simply vanished into the buffer area of Khunjerab Park across Sust . Only in Idaho USA similar restoration work has been carried out. Some members have visited the rescue center. A good news from and for the history of restoration of the wild from Pakistan indeed.

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## krash

ManiHK said:


> are there any other animals on the current extinct list in Pakistan?



The Asiatic Cheetah was thought to be extinct in Pakistan but recently some signs and a carcass was found near the Iranian border. A species of big dear in Kashmir recently went extinct on this side of the LOC. Apart from the recent ones take your pick from dinosaurs to _*Baluchitherium* (largest mammal ever)_.

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## Kathin_Singh

Do pakistan has national parks or wild life sanctuaries ?

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## N.Siddiqui

ManiHK said:


> are there any other animals on the current extinct list in Pakistan?




Pakistan does have snow leopards in the Karakorum, Himalayan region of northern Pakistan....













Kathin_Singh said:


> Do pakistan has national parks or wild life sanctuaries ?








*Pakistan* has 29 protected areas known as *national parks* 

Ayub
Ayubia
Broghil Valley
Central Karakorum
Chinji
Chitral Gol
Deosai
Deva Vatala
Ghamot
Gurez
Hazarganji-Chiltan
Hingol
K2
Kala Chitta
Khunjerab
Kirthar
Lal Suhanra
Lulusar-Dudipatsar
Machiara
Margalla Hills
Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta
Pir Lasura
Poonch River Mahaseer
Qurumber
Saiful Muluk
Shandur-Hundrup
Sheikh Buddin
Toli Pir
*Region key*


 Islamabad Capital Territory


 Azad Kashmir


 Balochistan


 Gilgit–Baltistan


 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


 Punjab


 Sindh






Wikimedia Commons has media related to _*National parks of Pakistan*_.




Baltoro glacier is found in Central Karakoram National Park






Plain of Deosai National Park






Mud volcano in Hingol National Park






Lulusar at Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park






Dudipatsar at Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park






Lake Saiful Muluk at Saiful Muluk National Park






Toli Pir at Rawalakot






Cold water spring of Kirthar National Park






Kathin_Singh said:


> Do pakistan has national parks or wild life sanctuaries ?



Chitral 'GOL' national park, with a large wildlife presence...

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## Kathin_Singh

Pluralist said:


> Pakistan does have snow leopards in the Karakorum, Himalayan region of northern Pakistan....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Pakistan* has 29 protected areas known as *national parks*
> 
> Ayub
> Ayubia
> Broghil Valley
> Central Karakorum
> Chinji
> Chitral Gol
> Deosai
> Deva Vatala
> Ghamot
> Gurez
> Hazarganji-Chiltan
> Hingol
> K2
> Kala Chitta
> Khunjerab
> Kirthar
> Lal Suhanra
> Lulusar-Dudipatsar
> Machiara
> Margalla Hills
> Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta
> Pir Lasura
> Poonch River Mahaseer
> Qurumber
> Saiful Muluk
> Shandur-Hundrup
> Sheikh Buddin
> Toli Pir
> *Region key*
> 
> 
> Islamabad Capital Territory
> 
> 
> Azad Kashmir
> 
> 
> Balochistan
> 
> 
> Gilgit–Baltistan
> 
> 
> Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
> 
> 
> Punjab
> 
> 
> Sindh
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wikimedia Commons has media related to _*National parks of Pakistan*_.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Baltoro glacier is found in Central Karakoram National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plain of Deosai National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mud volcano in Hingol National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lulusar at Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dudipatsar at Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lake Saiful Muluk at Saiful Muluk National Park
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Toli Pir at Rawalakot
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cold water spring of Kirthar National Park
> 
> 
> Chitral 'GOL' national park, with a large wildlife presence...



They looks nice.

Is any one of them included in the UNESCO world Heritage site?

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## N.Siddiqui

Broghil national Park, northern Pakistan....








Kathin_Singh said:


> They looks nice.
> 
> Is any one of them included in the UNESCO world Heritage site?




Yes quite a few places are in the UNESCO heritage list, also snow leopard is now in the list of protected species....

Check this video, shows the Baltit fort in UNESCO heritage list. A Dutch girl NORA was visiting these areas alone in a bike, more videos in the side bar of YouTube...

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## ghazi52

Camels are common across Pakistan


























































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## ghazi52

*DEOSAI - The Last Sanctuary 






*


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## krash

ghazi52 said:


>



So the Government of Pakistan does not know that the Markhor (national animal) and the Himalayan Ibex are two completely different animals. Brilliant. 

I probably shouldn't even bother that they completely forgot to mention a major subspecies of Markhor inhabiting Balochistan, southern KPK and DG Khan in Punjab?

Himalayan Ibex,











Markhor,


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## Abu Zarrar

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1083965861780750336


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## Clutch

Check out @ImranKhanPTI’s Tweet:

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1086534964974366720
Amazing video

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## ghazi52




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## Black.Mamba

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1355012869994250241


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