Title
Status of Mammals in Wakhan, Afghanistan
Author(s)
Habib, B
Abstract
This report summarizes the work of the WCS Wildlife Survey Team who carried out seasonal studies along the Wakhan Corridor during 2007. Their main goals were to examine livestock losses in the area following a very harsh winter, and to evaluate the health and status of wildlife populations in the Big Pamir mountains and the Wakhjir Valley. Two highlights of the expedition were the confirmed presence along the Corridor of both urial sheep and the common otter. Sighting data like these can help refine distribution maps and aid conservation strategies in the region significantly. The Marco Polo sheep populations also appeared to be surviving well and, judging by the scat samples, all top predators in the region including snow leopards and wolves were obtaining plentiful prey.
Keywords
Wakhan Corridor, Big Pamir, Wakhjir Valley, Livestock, Urial, Snow leopard, Himalayan lynx, Wolf, Otter, Marco Polo sheep, distribution map, seasonal survey, scat analysis, disease transmission,
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