Population assessment of Himalayan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellinus) and conflict with humans in the Hindu Kush mountain range of District Chitral, Pakistan

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Population assessment of Himalayan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellinus) and conflict with humans in the Hindu Kush mountain range of District Chitral, Pakistan

Jaffar Ud Din, Fridolin Zimmermann, Muhammad Ali, Khurshid Ali Shah, Muhammad Ayub, Siraj Khan, Muhammad Ali Nawaz
J. Bio. Env. Sci.6( 2), 31-39, February 2015.
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Abstract

This paper is the first-ever attempt to outline the interaction of Himalayan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellinus) with humans and its abundance measured through motion triggered camera traps in Hindu Kush Mountain Range of District Chitral, Pakistan. The study was undertaken in December-January, 2011 for a period of 35 days with a total trap days of 770 resulting the corroboration of the sporadic occurrence of lynx with a minimum population estimate of 6 individuals. High capture rate of human and livestock (90% of the total photos) exposes the immense human induced pressure on this fragile mountain ecosystem and ascribable to the dwindling population of the species in the region. Majority of the respondents (n=166: 90%) reckoned lynx as the rare species. Human acceptance of lynx was lower owing to the predation on livestock and thus was taken more dangerous with perceived danger per respondent of 35.77%. Although protected areas provide suitable habitat for the conservation of species but the non-capture of lynx in the buffer zone highly suggestive that sound conservation measures are required to inflate the survival of the species outside the protected areas in the longer run.

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