ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has prepared comprehensive guidelines for tourists, trekkers and locals with focus on women and children to create general awareness for avoiding leopard encounters and attacks in the nature and wildlife rich Margalla Hills National Park.
The protected area has emerged as a unique biodiversity rich nature preserve zone that is thriving with all of its species of birds, plants, animals, reptiles and insect life. It also had become home to the endangered species of common Asian Leopards that used to descend from higher mountain regions in winters amid heavy snowfall.
The increased patrolling of the wildcats even in day times have been captured in camera traps of the IWMB that had rung alarm bells for the authorities concerned to ensure mass mobilisation and sensitisation to amicably manage the public movement and wildlife in the national park.
Senior Islamabad Wildlife Management Board Member Z.B. Mirza had prepared a special education and awareness manual for the locals and tourists entering into the National Park. Dr. Mirza has maintained that there was no precedent of human-wildlife conflict in Margalla Hills National Park due to a balanced number of prey available in the natural environment for the big cats.
The menu of the Leopards include some 62 different species of wildlife whereas the wildcat that leads the food chain of the national park as the apex predator.
The Asian Leopard owing to its nocturnal nature fully activates at dark or early hours of morning to predate or hunt, and patrol mainly feeding on Barking Deers, Porcupines, Wild Boars, livestock animals, Donkeys, Monkeys, birds, Kalij Pheasant and others. The guidelines that were equally helpful for locals, tourists, trekkers and area guides underlined that the local community people should avoid entering the jungle or forest area during early morning or evening hours as the Leopard remains active during this time.
The local residents should keep a tubelight or bulb illuminated at night, keep livestock including goats locked at a safer place at night, and an individual should accompany the animals for livestock rearing in the woods. The women and children should be abstained to enter the jungle alone whereas the female should go in groups to collect fuelwood. However, women are also advised to avoid going into jungle for collecting fuelwood during their periods.
Moreover, the individuals in the forest should talk loudly and incase of a group one of them should be placed to guard the surrounding. The individuals entering into the forests should keep a club with them and keep on talking in a loud voice especially in the evening and morning hours.In case of any encounter with the Leopard in the wild, it is important for the individual to remain composed and patient instead of shouting and running in fear as this reaction will be similar to that of the leopard’s prey. The individual rather step backwards and leave the area slowly. If an individual hears growling sounds of Leopard then he or she must avoid intruding further into the jungle area.
Furthermore, if a female leopard is spotted with her cubs then it necessary to avoid entering or passing into that area. In case of a very close encounter with the leopard then the individual should clap with his or her both hands and should move his arms or shawl to show him or herself bigger than the wildcat.
While defecating openly the wild can also make an individual a vulnerable target before the leopard due to his or her contracted position. Therefore, an individual must place someone at guard and avoid going out in wild for defecation at night.
Earlier, Vice President, Pakistan Wildlife Foundation Safwan Ahmed told reporter that internationally there were professional tourist guides entering into the Leopard area.
“The tourists are tagged with transmitters to get their realtime location and are also sent into safe areas or zones in the forests”.
He added that there was no population record of leopards earlier in the Margalla Hills National Park but recent studies had revealed a sizeable population of wildcats that needs to be managed wisely to avoid human-wildlife contact.