Experts warn of local extinction of wolves in Pakistan without urgent conservation

Express Tribune

27-02-2025

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As Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic decline in its wolf populations over the past few decades, experts warn that without immediate conservation measures, the already endangered species may face local extinction in the near future.
The populations of both the Indian wolf and the Tibetan wolf in Pakistan are dwindling at an alarming rate, with only a few hundred individuals remaining in the country.
Human-induced factors such as habitat destruction, retaliatory killings, and diminishing prey populations are the primary causes of this decline, according to Rab Nawaz, a senior official at WWF-Pakistan.
'Pakistan has a rich diversity of wildlife, but many of its species, including wolves, are endangered and face the threat of local extinction,' Nawaz told Anadolu.
In recent years, he added, human-induced pressures have intensified the decline of the wolf population in Pakistan, while significant gaps in ecological knowledge and population distribution further hinder conservation efforts.
'The Indian wolf, in particular, is recognized as endangered in Pakistan, but key knowledge gaps regarding its population status and distribution make conservation efforts difficult,' he said.
Recent genetic studies have revealed that Indian wolves are among the most evolutionarily distinct wolf populations, found only in India and Pakistan.
Saeed-ul-Islam, a wildlife expert, agrees with Nawaz and emphasizes that the Indian wolf population is declining at a much faster rate than the Tibetan wolf, putting its survival at serious risk.
The Tibetan wolf – also known as the Chinese wolf, Mongolian wolf, Korean wolf, Steppes wolf, or Woolly wolf – has a relatively stable population due to the nature of its habitat and less human encroachment, he explained.
Believed to be a subspecies of the gray wolf, the Tibetan wolf is found in parts of central China, southwestern Russia, Manchuria, Tibet, and the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The species is already classified as 'vulnerable' due to its low population and is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global body focused on nature conservation.
Urgent need for conservation measures
Experts cite retaliatory killings, habitat loss, and growing human population as the primary factors behind the decline of the Indian wolf, which is found in the plains of southern Sindh, southwestern Balochistan, and northeastern Punjab provinces.
'Human-wildlife conflict is the biggest factor, followed by population growth and habitat destruction, which threaten the Indian wolf with local extinction,' said Islam.
Additionally, he pointed out that the prey base for the Indian wolf has drastically declined due to rapid deforestation and an increasing human footprint in recent decades.
In contrast, the Tibetan wolf is found in the mountains of northern Gilgit-Baltistan, the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and the disputed Kashmir region, where it has relatively stable habitats, better prey availability, and lower human interaction.
'But still, their population is vulnerable,' he cautioned.
According to Islam, the Indian wolf population in Pakistan is likely no more than a few hundred, although no official population assessment has been conducted.
'If serious conservation efforts are not undertaken immediately, we may lose the Indian wolf forever in the coming years,' he warned.
He emphasized the urgent need for population assessments, identification of population clusters, establishment of sanctuaries, and habitat restoration to conserve the remaining Indian wolf population.
'All of this cannot happen without a proper population assessment and identifying key habitat areas,' he said, acknowledging that the issue has not been given the necessary attention by either the government or wildlife organizations.
Mohammad Kabir, who heads the Wildlife Ecology Lab at the University of Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stressed that wolves kill a large number of livestock, which is a major factor in human-wildlife conflict.
'To mitigate conflict, conservation management programs should include livestock insurance, vaccination, and awareness campaigns,' Kabir told Anadolu.
Such measures, he explained, would help reduce livestock mortality due to disease and prevent retaliatory killings of wolves by farmers who suffer economic losses.
Role of wolves in ecosystem balance
Pakistan holds over 23,000 square kilometers (8,880 square miles) of suitable wolf habitat, spread across remote and inaccessible areas that are connected by natural corridors, according to Kabir.
Sharifuddin Baloch, the chief conservator of Balochistan's Wildlife Department, said the government has declared several national parks and game reserves as protected areas for the Indian wolf in an effort to conserve its population.
'The Indian wolf has already been designated as a protected species in Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan. However, conservation efforts have not yielded the desired results due to continued retaliatory killings, climate change, and the wolves' own predatory behavior,' Baloch explained.
'Conservation efforts have produced satisfactory results in protected areas, but they have been largely ineffective in other regions due to ongoing human-wildlife conflict,' he added.
One of the primary reasons behind this conflict, he noted, is the way wolves hunt livestock.
'They attack in packs and kill multiple animals at a time, unlike other carnivores that target only a single or a couple of animals for food. This makes them the number one enemy of farmers and shepherds,' Baloch said.
Livestock is a primary source of livelihood in rural Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, where retaliatory killings of wolves are common.
'The vast patrolling areas of wolves also make it difficult to protect them from human encounters and other dangers,' he added.
Kabir, the wildlife researcher, emphasized the critical role of wolves in regulating prey populations and maintaining ecosystem balance.
'Wolves are among the least studied carnivores in Pakistan and have been largely ignored in research and conservation programs. As top predators in their habitats, they regulate the population of other prey species,' he said.
'Their absence would lead to an unchecked increase in prey populations, causing overgrazing, habitat degradation, resource competition, and ultimately the collapse of prey populations,' he warned.
A decline in wolf populations, he added, could also lead to an increase in smaller predators, further disrupting the ecological balance.
'As predators, wolves help control the spread of disease by targeting sick, old, and weak prey animals. Without them, disease could spread more rapidly among prey populations,' he noted.