Status
of Wildlife in northern areas
Wildlife survey
is a basic tool used to identify the
current status of wildlife species
in the area. In Northern Areas the
Game Reserves, Sanctuaries and National
Parks are under the control of the
Forest Department. The wildlife division
of this department carries out wildlife
surveys regularly. The Khunjerab National
Park directorate conducts its field
surveys separately. In community controlled
hunting areas the concerned NGOs assist
the local communities in conducting
wildlife surveys. The list of Wildlife
Census of WWF project sites, Community
Controlled Hunting Areas is as under
table link:
BASDO (Belour Advisory and Social
Development Organization) based in
Gilgit conducted a wildlife survey
in June 2004 in the Sakwar nullah
near Sakwar village, Gilgit district
(Rasool, 2004). The following was
the result of their survey.
Table .
Status of wildlife in Sakwar nullah
| Species |
Common
name |
Status |
| Capra ibex sibirica |
Ibex |
Endangered |
| Capra falconeri
falconeri |
Markhor |
Endangered |
| Moschus chrysogaster |
Musk deer |
Endangered |
| Ovis orientalis
vignei |
Urial |
Endangered |
| Uncia uncia |
Snow leopard |
Endangered |
| Canis lopus |
Wolf |
Endangered |
| Felis lynx |
Lynx |
Endangered |
| Mustela altacia |
Alpine vessel |
Vulnerable |
| Martes toina |
Stone martin |
Abundant |
| Vulpes vulpes |
Fox |
Abundant |
| Lepus spp. |
Rabbit |
Abundant |
| Felis bengalensis |
Leopard cat |
Endangered |
| Eupetaurus cinereus |
Wolly flying squirrel |
Endangered |
Source: Rasool,
G. 2004. Biodiversity conservation
in sites of the unique habitat of
the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus
cinereus) in Northern Areas of Pakistan.
BASDO Progress Report, April-June
2004.
Other wildlife status
surveys have been conducted in game
sanctuaries and are discussed in
the following section (see 5.2.1)
WWF-Pakistan report
gives the following status for a
survey done in the Khunjerab National
Park.
Table .
Population status of mammals in
Khunjerab National Park
| Species |
1990 |
1992 |
1994 |
1996 |
1998 |
2000 |
2002 |
| Marco Polo sheep |
60 |
33 |
35 |
80 |
30 |
43 |
37 |
| Snow leopard |
02 |
02 |
02 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
04 |
| Ibex |
200 |
-- |
-- |
850 |
-- |
-- |
1200 |
| Brown bear |
01 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
01 |
| Wolf |
-- |
10 |
-- |
35 |
-- |
-- |
25 |
Source: Data
compiled by Mr. Rehmat Ali, Conservation
Officer, WWF-Pakistan, Gilgit.
Such surveys are
done every year by WWF-Pakistan
in the protected areas of Northern
Areas (Rehmat Ali, Conservation
Officer, WWF-Pakistan, Gilgit, pers.
comm.).
From a report
of IUCN Pakistan the following data
is available for 18 surveys done
under their Biodiversity Conservation
Project for the year 1998 (IUCN
Pakistan, 1998).
Table.
Wildlife surveys done by IUCN Pakistan
in Northern Areas – 1998
| Project
areas |
Month |
Actual
# counted |
| Shagarthang-Kachura |
Februray |
83 ibex |
| Khaiber |
February May December |
128 ibex 155 ibex
152 ibex |
| Skoyo-Karabathang-Basingo |
April December |
232 ibex; 19 markhor
159 ibex; 37 markhor |
| Basho |
May |
45 ibex |
| Bunji |
May December |
13 markhor; 18
urial 21 markhor; 10 urial |
Source: IUCN
Pakistan. 1998. Maintaining biodiversity
in Pakistan with rural community
development. Annual Progress Report,
Jan-Dec. 1998.
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