Chitral having rich potential of Wild Life. Conservator Safdar Ali Shah.
CHITRAL: Chitral is the only part of the country where 7 categories and types of wild life, natural resources, desert, forest, birds, etc are available out of 9 points. Ecological region of NWFP is very much attractive place for wild life Safdar Ali Shah Conservator Wild life disclosed in a exclusive interview with APP. He said that there are different zones here for habitants of very precious wild life like Kashmir Markhor, Snow leopard, Ibex etc. he said our national animal Markhor (especially Kashmir Markhor) our national tree (trunk) Deodar also existing at Chitral, our national flower Jasmine mostly available at Chitral in different places as well as our national bird Chokor (partridge ) is a part of Chitral wild life he added. Thus 8 ecological points out of 9 are existing here at our province. He said that some 2000 to 3000 Kashmir Markhor existing at Chitral in which Chitral goal national park having 850, Toshi and Shahshah 1250 and Markhor also living at golain and other inhabitants of Chitral. Responding to a query he said that Pakistan is signatory of Convention on International Trade of endearing species (CITES) and bound to follow its rules regulation that is why it can,t exceed issuing of hunting trophy differing to CITES policy.
He said that transportation and shifting of Kashmir Markhor was banned to some countries according to CITES rules but later on they passed a unanimous resolution for discarding that rules of transpiration of these species or Markhor. He said that as per CITES policy they issue only 12 hunting trophy permits to Pakistan for Markhor keeping in view the point to not genocide (eliminate generation of these species.) these hunting permits is issuing through Ministry of Environment and further by wild life department. As very precious kind of snow leopard living at this regions which was watched and observed by satellite collar and it was revealed that snow leopard in Chitral also traveled inside of Afghanistan territory of 25 kilometers. He said that as per wild life terminology and principles one snow leopard existing in 40 square kilometers. He said that some 40 to 50 snow leopard expecting at Chitral according to that principles as this is very suitable habitants for them. He said that wild life department charging from tourists when they visiting their habitants like Nairobi who charging 100 US dollars for one time visiting of wild life forest. He said that wild life is protecting by two ways N.cito and X-cito. To protect them in existing plan is N-cito conservation and provide them natural protection is x-cito way of conservation. He said that a watcher over some 250 square kilometers without any modern equipments and other facilities. Hence we motivate local community by granting them 80% share in hunting trophy for ownership of that habitants of Markhor and to persuade them to protect these wild life from illegal hunting.
He said that this is our moral obligatory to protect these wild life which is cash animal and we earning 85000 US Dollars for one Markhor in term of trophy hunting. He said that Shahzada Mir Hasanat Gul established village conservation committee in 1997 first time at Chitral and so many hunting permits were issued for his VCC. To communicate a message to the nation he said that these wild life is our natural assets and sources of income without of our investment and we should to protect them.
G.H. Farooqi Po Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan phone No. 03025989602, 0943-302295,414418
Email: gulhamad@gmail.com