Great start to our surveys in Sindh!
2025 is off to a productive start for our genetic survey of Indian wolves! In collaboration with the Sindh Wildlife Department, the Sindh team has been investigating reports from Kirthar National Park to identify wolf habitats, gather genetic samples, and engage with local communities. This survey aims to deepen our understanding of wolf populations in Sindh and their genetic diversity while addressing key conservation challenges. Recent fieldwork included: 🐺 Habitat Surveys: Surveying vegetation, water availability, and terrain to identify suitable habitat for wolves and other wildlife. 👥 Community Interviews: Engaging with community members to investigate livestock predation, document human-wildlife interactions, and assess economic impacts. 🔎 Predation Investigations: Collecting evidence of predation events to identify patterns and understand predator activity. 🎥 Camera Trap Deployment: Placing traps in areas with suspected wolf activity to monitor wildlife and collect behavioral data. The surveys confirmed an abundance of ecologically important species, including Sindh ibex, Blandford urial, Indian crested porcupine, wild boar, golden jackal, and desert fox. These observations underscore the park’s role as a critical biodiversity hotspot in Sindh.
Camera traps captured images of a pair of golden jackals and a wild boar. The cameras also recorded a large stray dog, highlighting the need for careful analysis of evidence like scats and pugmarks found during the surveys to confirm species identity. Thank you to all the supporters who make this important conservation work possible. I'd also like to thank the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute for contributing camera traps and the Sindh Wildlife Department for facilitating this work with their field support and expertise.
Stay tuned for further insights and progress as we analyze the data collected. If you are interested in learning more about the project, feel free to reach out!
Sindh Team: Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh, M. Ramzan Burfat , Zohaib Ahmed, Qalandar Burfat, Omar Khayam
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