DERA GHAZI KHAN: The tribal people killed a hyena in the mountainous area of Tuman Gorchani in tehsil Jampur of district Rajanpur.

The female hyena was shot dead in the area located between the border military police stations of Khalchas and Nelee Lakrree.

Border Military Police officer Sherbaz Chaang told this scribe that the tribal people had killed the hyena to save their herds of sheep and goat from it. He further maintained that the people had removed the skin of the animal to use it in traditional witchcraft and damaged the den in which her cubs were housed.

Dera Ghazi Khan Wildlife Deputy Director Naveed Tariq says a team has been sent to the area for investigation and to initiate proceedings under the wildlife regulations.

Talking to Dawn, zoologist Umer Waqas says striped Hyena is carnivore mammal and it is listed as ‘near threatened’ conservation status.

“Once it was common in the Dera Ghazi Khan area, particularly in arid mountains of the district. It is mainly a scavenger and prefers to eat carrion. Like other medium sized wild mammals, the hyena is also facing extreme food scarcity and pressures of habitat restrictions associated with targeted killing and hatred from humans for its strange appearance,” he adds.

It is believed that population of hyenas in Pakistan is vanishing at a fast speed. No special conservation efforts are being made to save it from extinction.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2022