“The number of snow leopards in Chitral, one of the world’s rarest species, ranges between 26 and 32,” said Farooq Nabi, Chitral’s Divisional Forest Officer. The snow leopard that was seen two days ago was last sighted in that location in 2015.
According to Farooq Nabi, the care and monitoring of snow leopards is being carried out by the Wildlife Department in collaboration with the Snow Leopard Foundation. Snow leopards are found in the mountain ranges of Lower Garam Chashma, Gabor Valley, Arkari Valley, and Manur Valley. “Chitral is among the few regions in the world where the local community protects this rare species instead of harming it.”
The snow leopard sighted in Chitral appeared in an area located six to seven hours away from Chitral town. Residents of this valley receive financial support through the Snow Leopard Foundation. Locals keep goats and sheep and release them into the forest as prey for snow leopards, which helps keep the cats from entering populated areas. The recently sighted leopard was also left unharmed by the locals, which Farooq described as a very positive sign.
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”The snow leopard appeared here after nearly ten years. Its arrival brought both excitement and some fear among the locals. However, due to the awareness campaigns conducted earlier, no one attempted to harm it,” said watcher Saddaruddin, who is responsible for monitoring snow leopards in Manur Valley and for guiding the community on how to protect them.
He explained that each village has two to three watchers who are paid by the government and the Snow Leopard Foundation. Their duties include raising awareness about this rare species, providing food, and continuously keeping villagers informed about the presence and movement of snow leopards.
Officials said that a similar sighting was reported in Chitral a few years ago as well. They added that Chitral wildlife teams are actively working on the conservation and long-term survival of the snow leopard in the region.
The Wildlife Department further stated that local residents have been informed about necessary safety measures following the latest sighting.