Wildlife in Pakistan:

The northern part of Pakistan is surrounded by mountains on three sides. These mountains include the Karakoram, the Himalayas and Hindukush. Snow Leopard, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Wolf, Black Hare, Markhor, Bharal (Himalayan blue sheep), Wild Goat (Himalayan Tahr), Marcopolo Sheep, Deer and Patridge can be seen on the peaks of these mountains. The number of snow leopard, Marcopolo Sheep and Brown Bear is decreasing rapidly. The World Wildlife has declared these animals as endangered species.

1. On less high mountain slopes, monkeys, red fox, black deer, leopard, partridge, Chakor can be seen. Forests are in abundance in Pothwar Plateau, Salt Range and Kala Chitta Mountain. Numerous wild animals are found in these forests. They include Goat Antelope, Chinkara deer, partridge, peacock, Chakor and other local birds.
2. The plain areas of Pakistan are used for agricultural purposes. That’s why forests and wildlife found on plains are getting shrunk. Jackals, hyenas, mongoose, and wolves are found in these areas even today.
3. Chinkara Deer and peacocks are found in desert areas.
4. Dry and barren mountains of Balochistan are habitations of Markhor, wild sheep, partridge, Chakor and various kinds of wild cats.
5. Among hunting birds, falcon, hawk, and Kestrel are commonly found in Pakistan. Other than these birds, many seasonal birds migrate from Siberia and other cold areas to the lakes of Pakistan. When the winter is over, these birds return to their original areas. Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan whereas Chakor is the national bird of Pakistan.
6. Allah Almighty has blessed Pakistan with a variety of wildlife.

Following are the reasons for continuous decrease in the growth and reproduction of wildlife

• Illegal Hunting
• Poor Planning
• Continuous Increase in Human Population
• Deforestation
• Shortage of water
• Shortage of fodder due to the increase in the number of domestic animals
• The disappearance of wild sanctuaries.