Killer whales seen off Churna Island in rare sighting
Faiza Ilyas
November 21, 2017

KARACHI: A pod of killer whales was recently observed about 50km south-west of Churna Island. This is the first ever recorded sighting of this species from Pakistan’s waters, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) reported on Monday.

The killer whale, also known as orca, is considered as the most powerful predator on earth. It has been reported a few times from Oman and the Gulf but rarely found in the northern Arabian Sea.

“Mohammad Muneeb looking for tuna with his team about 50km south-west of Churna Island recorded a pod of killer whales on November 19. The three orcas were feeding on a school of queenfish. [There is] no authentic record of this species earlier known from Pakistan’s waters,” says a press rele­ase.

Giant blue whale spotted with calf off Churna Island
Faiza IlyasUpdated September 15, 2017
KARACHI: A giant blue whale has recently been spotted along with its baby off Churna Island, Balochistan, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) reported on Thursday.

This was the first live sighting of the blue whale, stated the organisation, which had earlier reported sighting of a sperm whale pair off Jiwani.

The blue whale is listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and its global population today stands at around 10,000 to 25,000.

First pair of sperm whales spotted in Pakistani waters
APP September 12, 2017

Fishermen on Tuesday spotted a pair of sperm whales near Jiwani ─ the first such sighting in Pakistani waters, a press release issued by the World Wide Fund-Pakistan said.

The fishermen, who saw the whales while navigating about 22 kilometers south of Gunz, followed them out of curiosity for nearly 1.5 hours after which the whales disappeared into the sea.

In December 2005, the skeleton of a sperm whale was reported to be found on Sonara Beach near Karachi, whereas a few bones of another specimen were collected from Daran Beach near Jiwani.

A bear for a human life: Who is the predator in Mansehra's human-bear conflict?
Muhammad Awais — Updated Nov 19, 2015 03:58pm

The month of November has been a particularly bloody one for the under-threat Asiatic black bears of Mansehra district. While the picturesque green hills and forests of the region are a natural habitat for the species, co-existence for man and wildlife has been anything but peaceful here.

Female bear killed in Hungrai. — Photo by author

Leopard kills minor in Abbottabad
Islamabad National
November 24, 2015 BY Staff Report

A wild leopard attacked a 10-year-old boy Azhar, killing him in the forest area of Makol Bala in Abbottabad.

According to details, the incident took place when Azhar was playing outside the house and a wild leopard attacked him claiming his life on the spot. The relatives rushed out of the house after hearing screams but were unable to chase the beast.

The corpse of the deceased was taken to a hospital for post mortem after which the doctors handed over the body to the family. The incident has created fear among the locals.

Ferocious black bear with cubs shot dead in Kaghan valley
The Newspaper's Correspondent — Published Nov 11, 2015

MANSEHRA: The black bear, which had attacked and seriously injured a woman and her son last week, was found shot dead along with her two cubs in Hangrai area of Kaghan valley on Tuesday.

“Yes, someone has shot and killed a black bear and her two cubs as the bear family had come down to populated area after the heavy snowfall and injured two people last week,” Khursheed Abbasi, range officer of wildlife department, told mediapersons.

A team of wildlife department, led by district forest officer wildlife Mohammad Faiq Khan, reached the Hungrai following the killing of black bear and her two cubs and sensitised the local community to the importance of wildlife in the area.

‘Endangered’ black bear found dead and skinned
Tariq Naqash — Published Nov 09, 2015

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Wildlife Department found the body of an Asiatic black bear in Rahimkot village on Saturday and have started investigations into its death.

The female bear was spotted by an AJK Forest Department official, Chaudhry Ilyas, as it ‘lay dead in a water channel’.

Where Bin Laden hid in Pakistan, tales of ‘man-eating’ leopards

ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN — Osama bin Laden hid out here for months, if not years. But in the hills surrounding this town in northwestern Pakistan, residents say they face a far scarier menace than terrorists.

With descriptive stories that bring to mind mythological tales of man vs. beast, Abbottabad residents claim to be locked in a terrifying battle against Pakistan’s endangered population of leopards. The big cats — referred to as common leopards to distinguish them from their smaller cousins, snow leopards — lurk in the Himalayan foothills.

At dusk, common leopards slink out of the mountains into the farming villages that have been steadily encroaching deeper into Pakistan’s forests.

Then, residents say, they pounce — killing at least four people and injuring several others over the past four years.

“The leopard just sucked the blood out of her, and then she was dead,” said Zakir Abbasi, 36, recounting a leopard attack in January that killed his 7-year-old niece, Saba Noor.