Vanishing howls

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Pakistan's wolves are disappearing. Once spread across vast landscapes, the Indian wolf and the Tibetan wolf are now on the brink of local extinction, with only a few hundred individuals left. Their decline is not a mystery — it is the direct result of human activity. Habitat destruction, retaliatory killings, and a shrinking prey base have pushed these apex predators to the edge.

The most immediate challenge is human-wildlife conflict. As natural prey dwindles due to deforestation and overgrazing, Indian wolves, particularly in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab, are increasingly forced to hunt livestock. In response, farmers often kill them in retaliation. To break this cycle, Pakistan needs a government-backed compensation program that reimburses herders for livestock losses.

Similar schemes have worked in India and Nepal, reducing retaliatory killings while fostering coexistence. Protecting habitats is just as crucial. Pakistan lacks designated wolf conservation zones, leaving these animals vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. The government must establish and enforce protected areas in wolf-inhabited regions, such as the Thar Desert, Balochistan's plateaus, and Gilgit-Baltistan's highlands.

Restoring degraded ecosystems by replanting forests and restricting human encroachment would also help rebuild the wolves natural prey base, reducing their dependence on livestock. Strict anti-poaching laws are another necessity. While hunting wolves is illegal under the Pakistan Wildlife Act, enforcement remains weak. Poaching for fur and body parts continues unchecked.

Authorities must crack down on illegal hunting networks, introduce harsher penalties, and train wildlife protection units to safeguard these animals effectively.

Extinction is permanent. If action is delayed, the loss of Pakistan's wolves will be an environmental tragedy for the world to witness - a damning indictment of our failure to protect our natural heritage.