HARIPUR: At least three grey gorals have been found dead in the mountainous Beer valley of Haripur, with area people calling for urgent steps to protect the rest of population of over 100 animals of rare species.

Talking to this scribe on Friday, the area people claimed that at least seven grey gorals had been found dead in the Beer area during last one week. The villagers who requested anonymity said the reason for the deaths of grey gorals could be spray of insecticides on wheat crop adjacent to the hilly area. They said the animals usually moved down the hills to populated areas in search of grass in winter season and they might have eaten the sprayed grass or leaves of wheat crop which resulted in their death.

Some of the villagers had shared pictures of a dead and two ailing gorals on social media. The villagers said that illegal hunting of grey gorals was also on the rise in Beer and neighbouring villages.

When approached for comments, sub-divisional officer wildlife Abdul Rasheed said that he had taken into possession only two female gorals of age one and two years in ailing condition and continued their treatment for two days, but they succumbed to a disease, which was yet be diagnosed.

He said that blood and stomach samples of the animals had been sent to the National Veterinary Laboratory, Islamabad, and Wildlife Laboratory, Peshawar, after conducting their postmortem and the reports were awaited. However, he said that preliminary assessment suggested that the cause of death of two rare animals was some viral disease.

Mr Rasheed said that samples of wheat plants and grass collected from different wheat fields near the habitat of grey gorals, were also sent to the Agriculture Research Centre, Peshawar. He said that a case had been registered against a resident of Tavi Khanpur village who had allegedly uploaded a picture with a hunted goral.

The official said that anyone found guilty of hunting this animal would face a jail term of three years and fine.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2018