Tag: ibex

  • Deadly virus kills 35 ibex in Kirthar

    Deadly virus kills 35 ibex in Kirthar

    Ibex goats are dying in large numbers in Kirthar National Park, authorities have confirmed.

    According to local sources, four more ibex were found dead on Sunday while nine infected animals were traced by wildlife officers.

    Local sources have also reported that dead ibex are being cremated and buried, while efforts are being made to clean the ibex’s watering holes.

    The water in which the dead ibex were found has been blocked by planting bushes around it. While the water has become very polluted after decomposing ibex were found in it, locals claim the water will clean naturally with rains.

    Ibex are apparently suffering from an epidemic called Peste des Petits Ruminants, or PPR.

    Locals explain that this ‘goat plague’ is a virus that spreads rapidly, usually infecting sheep and goats. It is thus feared that the disease has been spread to ibex from goats

    Currently, there are around 25 thousand ibex in Kirthar and so far, 35 have died.

    Deputy Conservator of the Department of Wildlife, Hyderabad, Wahid Shaikh told Geo News that samples of the dead ibex have been sent to the laboratory for analysis, adding that the Sindh Wildlife Department has sent more teams to the affected area.

  • WWF releases rare video of snow leopard hunting ibex

    WWF releases rare video of snow leopard hunting ibex

    Viewer discretion is advised.

    The World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) released rare footage of a snow leopard hunting a Himalayan ibex in Khunjerab National Park, located at a distance of approximately 15 kilometres from the Pakistan-China border.

    The footage was released on March 3 to mark the annual World Wildlife Day. According to details, the video is aimed to raise awareness about wildlife protection and threats to their survival.

    The gripping video shows a snow leopard silently chasing a herd of Himalayan ibex on steep cliffs. After successfully hunting an ibex, the snow leopard can be seen feasting on it. Two other cats joined the leopard later.

    The video was recorded by wildlife photographer Muhammad Osama.

    According to Osama, he followed the herd of the ibex in severe cold, with the temperature as low as – 18 degrees Celsius, looking for fresh snow leopard pugmarks.

    “Capturing this hunt was once in a lifetime experience as it involved hours of tireless tracking, climbing mountains and withstanding freezing cold temperatures,” he said.

    VIDEO: Himalayan lynx attacks Markhor in Chitral

    WWF-P director general Hammad Naqi Khan also expressed hope that the video would help in raising awareness about wildlife in Pakistan and the need to guard it.

    He said wildlife in Pakistan and in the rest of the world faced increasing threats due to deforestation and human encroachment, which led to habitat degradation, while new threats such as unsustainable infrastructure and climate change were also emerging.

    As a result, the survival of wildlife, such as snow leopards, Indus River dolphins, common leopards, pangolins, brown bear and white-backed vultures, hangs in the balance, he added.

    Khan requested the government to ensure that existing protected areas in the country were restored so that wildlife could flourish in healthy landscapes.

  • Man put behind bars for illegally hunting ibex cubs

    Man put behind bars for illegally hunting ibex cubs

    A man was sentenced to jail for eight months by the Hunza wildlife magistrate for illegally hunting two Himalayan ibex cubs.

    According to Dawn, the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife department had discovered the carcasses of ibex cubs during the inspection of a vehicle at Ganish bridge on the Karakoram Highway in Hunza area. The officials seized the carcasses and arrested Rehmat Khan of Altit area.

    The DFO of the area shared that the poacher hunted the ibex cubs in the surroundings of Attabad Lake before attempting to transport their carcasses to Gilgit. He revealed that the wildlife department with the help of police seized the carcasses and hunting gear. The poacher was handed eight months imprisonment under the Wildlife Preservation Act, 1975.

    Meanwhile, the Khunjerab Village Organisation has accused personnel of Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to have hunted three Himalayan ibexes in Khunjerab National Park in upper Hunza. They claimed that the FWO personnel killed ibexes after cordoning off the area, and took away the carcasses, adding that they have substantial evidence to prove their claims.