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Misunderstood by people, Pakistan’s wild animals might have a press membership of their very own – Pakistan

Islamabad’s Deeaitchay saga sheds mild on evident problems with human-wildlife battle in Pakistan.

“If animals may converse a language, they’d be protesting exterior the press membership each day,” stated wildlife conservator Javed Mahar. The phrase animal in his assertion consists of all kinds of creatures, from the wild to the tamed and the captives. In Pakistan, animals of all species and breeds reside a despicable life, largely quietly, apart from a particular look every so often.

One such present — as is often termed by spectators alias the general public — was broadcast reside on each tv and social media final month when a leopard ran amok in a residential space in Islamabad. The animal, who seemed visibly distraught and agitated, dashed from one home to a different looking for an escape however solely ended up working into partitions of bungalows as a gaggle of clueless individuals chased it.

After enjoying disguise and look for practically six hours, the Islamabad Wildlife Administration Board captured the leopard and took it to a rescue centre. It isn’t shocking that the IWMB needed to sedate the animal, contemplating it was scared and aggravated in the course of the chase. Three individuals, together with two staffers, had been additionally harm in the course of the episode.

In line with the wildlife board, the leopard was intently monitored by consultants throughout its keep within the forthcoming days and it was ascertained that it had come to the Defence Housing Society (DHA) within the capital metropolis from the Kahuta forests, practically six kilometres from the luxurious locality.

The IWMB said that opposite to preliminary suspicions, the leopard was not a pet. Subsequently, after greater than two weeks, it was launched into its pure habitat.

“The leopard was fairly agitated and reacting. There was a threat that the feline will harm itself and we lacked the experience to deal with and look after the wild animal. It was finest to launch it again into its habitat,” a Daybreak report quoted Vaqar Zakaria, the performing chairman of IWMB, as saying.

The report additionally stated that the IWMB was checking up on the feline, including that it was in good well being.

Deeaitchay — the identify the leopard was given — is amongst these few lucky animals in Pakistan who’ve safely made it again to their habitat. In different related conditions, such wild animals — particularly felines as a result of Pakistanis are surprisingly obsessive about them — are sometimes both killed by the locals or packed up and despatched to zoos as captives.

The data showed that in Islamabad alone, nearly eight hectares of tree cover was lost between 2001 and 2021 due to several factors, the key being deforestation.

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The statistics indicate how rapid urbanisation is eating up forests and habitats of living species across the country, particularly the capital.

Environmentalist Syed Hasnain Raza told Dawn.com that the urban sprawl in Islamabad is particularly concerning because the Margalla Hills are the foothill of the Himalayas and house animals of various species, such as leopards and black bears.

“These forests go all the way up to Ayubia, Nathia Gali and Azad Jammu Kashmir. This land also gives the animals residing here space to move and hunt,” he said. “However, in the last few years, the natural habitat of these animals has been scattered due to posh housing societies sprouting in this region.”

Raza recalled that until a decade ago, it used to take him merely minutes to cross the Bara Kahu Bypass. “But now, this time has massively increased as numerous hotels and housing societies have been built around the area.”

This, the environmentalist reiterated, has broken down the homes of the wildlife in the Margalla Hills and forced the animals to keep moving in the hunt for food. “Hence, when they come across a village, they see easy prey in the shape of livestock and the rest is history.”

It was, therefore, no surprise to Raza that Deeaitchay managed to enter DHA (oh the irony). “You see leopards are very elusive creatures and walking a distance of 10 to 12 kilometres is not really a big deal for them.”

This incident might be isolated in Islamabad, considering the hullaballoo it created, but in areas up north, such instances are common. They either go unreported or result in the death of a hungry cat in search of food. And if the wild animal is a female with cubs nearby, her little ones are henceforth destined to an enslaved life.

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