Extinction Of Snow Leopards In Pakistan

Extinction of Snow Leopards in Pakistan. The extinction of Pakistan's snow leopards is a serious issue. Only 12 nations are home to these secretive cats, and Gilgit-Baltistan G.B. accounts for 80% of their habitat. Pakistan is one of those countries. The alarming fact that there are only 6,000-6,500 snow leopards worldwide, including just 300-400 in Pakistan, is brought to light by World Wide Fund for Nature WWF, Pakistan. Regretfully, just 25% of their global environment is under protection. The precise number of these animals is yet unknown, thus urgent conservation action is required to protect them. The element of human, snow leopards are hampered in their movement, especially in lowlands where they search for prey or mates. By increasing human activity, which also fragments their habitat, and disturbs them in wildlife-protected areas. Notably, the WWF has noted that Gilgit-Baltistan has seen a notable surge in linear infrastructure development since the Karakoram Highway was completed in the 1970s. Human conflict is another factor contributing to the declining population of snow leopards. The biggest threat to snow leopard survival in G.B. is when owners kill the elusive cat to protect their livestock after snow leopards attack livestock in search of food. A snow leopard can quickly destroy hundreds of sheep. By providing incentives, people can be persuaded to refrain from acting in retribution, so reducing human conflict. WWF bemoaned the lack of an appropriate system to end human-human conflict. Such a device has already been installed in Khyber Village, Hunza, as part of a test project. This device greatly helps to preserve cattle by tracking the movements of snow leopards, and providing real-time data to provide critical warnings. The main danger to the snow leopard population, which mostly eats natural prey including ibex, marker, Lodak Uriel, Marco Polo sheep, and blue sheep, is highlighted by a senior regional program manager with the Snow Leopard Foundation, SLF. His group aggressively works to safeguard snow leopards in Gilgit-Baltistan. To protect these amazing animals and the communities that depend on them, the SLF has implemented livestock insurance coverage in a few GB villages. According to experts, snow leopards attack livestock when they are unable to find prey, and the owners of those animals either shoot or poison the animals in revenge. They do this by poisoning the carcass of a dead animal and leaving it outside. The deceased animal is eaten by snow leopards, who then perish, to stop snow leopards from attacking livestock. Locals in isolated parts of Gilgit-Baltistan most frequently utilize this technique to kill the animals. Changes in Climate Snow leopards have since moved to the GB, Chitral, and Ajay-K mountains, mostly in the Karakoram, Himalayan, Hindukush, and Pamir mountain ranges. Previously, they were found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Swat and Khaistan. Their habitat, which is covered in snow, is rapidly declining because to climate change, Pakistan is home to between 150 and 200 snow leopards, according to SLF, however the precise number is yet unknown. The obstacles that these elusive cats confront are numerous, according to ecologist Dr. Saeed. These issues include habitat fragmentation brought on by human activity, human disputes, and the tragic hunting of snow leopards for their teeth and bones by locals. Sadly, specialists attest to a notable decrease in the snow leopard population in Gilgit-Baltistan. Once regularly sighted at high heights, locals now report no sightings.