Rare snow leopard seen after 21 years in Chitral dies of natural causes

PESHAWAR:

A rare snow leopard found dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral region was declared to have died of natural causes, officials said on Tuesday.

The carcass of the snow leopard was discovered in the mountainous region of Garam Chashma a day ago. According to the coroner’s report, dated January 19, obtained by Express Pakinomist“the cause of death is determined to be severe untreated diarrhea and dehydration”.

It further said that the body was extremely weak and emaciated at the time of examination. It noted that “no gunshot wounds were found on any part of the body” and “no external injuries or superficial abrasions were discovered”. It further said that all internal organs were checked and “found normal”.

Read: International Snow Leopard Day: Renewed resolve to protect Pakistan’s 155 endangered mountain cats

Chitral’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Farooq Nabi noted that snow leopards typically live between 10 and 13 years in the wild, and the deceased animal was estimated to be “over 12 years old”, based on dental examination.

“The presence of a snow leopard after such a long period was encouraging,” Nabi said, adding that “its natural death indicates that the species is still thriving in the Chitral valleys”.

Read more: WWF warns that infrastructure development threatens the existence of snow leopards

Conservation efforts are underway in the region with support from local communities, the provincial wildlife department and international organizations including the Snow Leopard Foundation.

Latif Rehman, spokesperson of the KP Wildlife Department, said local communities were trained monthly to protect these endangered animals. “The fact that a snow leopard has appeared after a long time shows that conservation efforts are having a positive effect,” he added.

WWF-Pakistan wrote on X that the recent death was a stark reminder of “how fragile this iconic species has become”. “Each loss brings it closer to extinction,” the organization warmed.

It said that using AI-enabled cameras, the organization tracks snow leopards, warns communities and helps prevent conflicts.

“Now communities, authorities and partners must act to protect this rare symbol of our mountains.”