Leatherback turtle spotted for the first time at Gwadar
By Our Correspondent
Published: April 18, 2013

The country’s coastline boasted of five species of marine turtles but one of them, the leatherback, was never spotted live before – until Tuesday when a group of fishermen caught one at Gwadar.

Green turtles, olive-ridley, hawksbill and loggerhead are among the others also found along the Pakistan coastline, but the leatherback is considered one of the most rare species, not just in the country, but across the globe.

On Tuesday, a group of fishermen operating a monofilament gillnet caught a large leatherback turtle at Gwadar near Surbandar village. Since the turtle was stuck inside their net, the fishermen brought the turtle to the beach, after which the World Wildlife Fund – Pakistan (WWF-P) helped them rescue it and release it back into the sea.

According to WWF-P technical adviser on marine fisheries Muhammad Moazzam Khan, leatherback turtles are very rarely found in the coastal areas of Pakistan. They have been spotted four or five times before but they were all dead.

“It is our luck that leatherback turtles exist in our sea as these are signs of the existence of life in natural position,” Khan said.

This leatherback turtle found at Gwadar was released back into the sea within 30 minutes. PHOTO: COURTESY WWF-P
KARACHI:

Lack of care: Hut-bound baby snow leopard misses the jungle
By Shabbir Mir
Published: March 4, 2013

GILGIT: Life’s not easy if you injure yourself while jumping rocks on a river – especially if you are a furry little snow leopard, left languishing in a small brick hut, away from the jungle.

All hell broke loose when the little cub and his mother were crossing a river near the Khunjerab National Park in G-B in late December. In a sorry turn of fate, the leopardess reached the other side, but her child, who had hurt himself, was left behind. Upon being spotted by guards of the wildlife department, the little ball of fur was brought to a small village on the Pak-China border called Dhee and christened Qiq Maman, which means ‘little boy’ in the local language Wakhi.

WWF-P Chitral rescued Himalayan Lynx (lynx isabellinus) from Chitral
by Kashif Ahmad March 04, 2013

The WWF-Pakistan Chitral have finally succeeded in capturing of a Lynx that injured two children and several cattle in Chuenj village of Chitral Pakistan.

CHITRAl : WWF-Pakistan Official sources said that after it injured two children and many cattle in Village Chuenj of Mustuj. According to Mr. Shafiqullah Khan Field Biologist associated with WWF-Pakistan the species was Lynx lynx isabellinus known as “Doorchon” in local language which is found in the forest of Chitral. 45 depredation cases of livestock from various localities of Mustuj have been recorded” said Juma Khan a local of Chenju. Mr. Nyazuddin an Official of Livestock department chitral confirmed that the health of the species is stable. Later on WWF-Pakistan and Local wildlife department officials released the species in Chitral Gol National Park.

Shahzad Kashif, KP Chitral Pakistan, 17200

Photo Credit Hamid Ahmad - WWF - Pakistan

Threatened wildlife: Villager kills leopard
By Muhammad Sadaqat
Published: February 18, 2013

HARIPUR: A leopard was shot dead by a villager in a remote village of Ghazi tehsil, wildlife and police officials told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

An official requesting anonymity said the animal somehow strayed into the low-lying settled area, possibly in search of food. It was then gunned down by a villager who claimed he killed the big cat in self-defence when it got too close to his house.

Wildlife District Officer Fazal Ahla said he raided a house in Budha village upon receiving an intelligence report and recovered the dead leopard. He confiscated the carcass and shifted it to District Veterinary Hospital for autopsy, after which it was sent to Peshawar for taxidermy.

Ahla said the accused villager, identified as Akhtar Shah, admitted during questioning that the animal came too close to his house and did not budge despite repeated efforts. “After failing to scare the animal away from the populated area, I shot it with a 12 bore shotgun four times and killed it,” Shah told the media and wildlife authorities.

Villagers say two leopards killed, officials confirm one
By Our Correspondent
Published: January 11, 2013

Wildlife officials on Thursday confirmed that a leopard had been killed in the Beerot area, but villagers said a second leopard was also shot dead by unknown persons in Khera Gali area.

“I have the body of only one dead leopard so I cannot confirm the killing of the second one, unless I have possession of the carcass,” said Wildlife Range Officer Muhammad Khurshid.

He added it was shot dead in a far off village in Longial in the union council of Beerot four days earlier.

Khurshid said the leopard was a female aged between 5 to 6 years and was not an adult. He added the reason for it being killed had not yet been ascertained. “It is yet to be determined if the animal was shot in a populated area or in the forest.”

WWF-Pakistan honours nature conservationists with awards

M. Waqar Bhatti
Friday, January 11, 2013
From Print Edition

Karachi

The Worldwide Fund for Nature – Pakistan on Thursday gave awards to conservationists and organisations for their role in conserving nature and biodiversity in the country.

The awards were distributed during a ceremony held at a local hotel, where the Syed Asad Ali Conservation Award (SAAC), the Living Planet Award and Women in Nature Conservation Award were handed to conservationists.

WWF-Pakistan officials said the distribution was aimed at creating awareness about environmental issues, conservation of natural resources of the country and mitigating pollution.

Speaking at the award distribution ceremony, Sindh Secretary Wildlife Mushtaq Memon said the province was fortunate enough to have a vast range of biodiversity resources such as the hog deer, the otter and the Indus River dolphin, which were ecologically important.

The WWF-Pakistan successfully completed the first phase of the Indus for All Program in collaboration with numerous stakeholders, including the Sindh government.

Alarm bells ring over hunting of rare India-bound birds in Pakistan
Mohammed Iqbal

A leading environmental group working for conservation of flora and fauna has sought intervention of the External Affairs Ministry to put pressure on Pakistan to ban hunting of rare birds, Houbara bustards, which has drastically reduced India's share of their annual winter migration and affected the desert eco-system.

The hunting of Houbara bustards, taxonomically classified as Clamydotis undulata, through falconry in Pakistan has led to an alarming decline in their numbers. The poaching mainly in Sindh province along the international border is not only a cause of serious concern for India but also in violation of wildlife protection laws and international conventions. The Tourism & Wildlife Society of India has pointed out in a letter to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid that the desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat are not benefiting from the rare birds as a result of their hunting in Pakistan. The species has been declared vulnerable due to a more than 60 per cent decline in its global population even as India's share in the Houbara's migration is “bagged” in the neighbouring country.

Girl wounded critically in leopard attack
By Our Correspondent
Published: January 9, 2013

A leopard attacked a girl in Bagan village, Galiyat on Tuesday, critically wounding her, police and hospital officials said.

Muhammad Pervez, father of seven-year-old Sumayya Bibi, told police that she was collecting firewood in the nearby forest when she was attacked.

She cried for help. Pervez and a group of villagers rallied to where she was to see the animal trying to drag her off deeper into the forest. They threw rocks at the leopard and fired warning shots, scaring it away.