CHITRAL, April 20: An outbreak of foot and mouth disease is threatening Kashmir markhor, an endangered species, in Toshi Shasha game reserve near Chitral city.

Markhors contract the killer disease from goats, which illegally graze in the grassland due to their owners’ connivance with the relevant Wildlife Department officials.

Two decades ago, the area situated on Chitral-Garam Chashma Road was declared the game reserve for protection of markhor population subjected to excessive poaching. Also, the department gave locals a number of incentives for the purpose.

Locals told Dawn that grazing in the game reserve was prohibited but the Wildlife Department had miserably failed to enforce the ban. They said they were paid 80 per cent of the income generated by the sale of markhor hunting permits.

A conservation worker from Seen Village near the game reserve, Miraj Ahmad Khan, said presence of goats in the game reserve had threatened markhor conservation. He accused the Wildlife Department officials of trying to hush up markhor deaths to conceal dereliction of duty. Mr Miraj said a few weeks ago, carcasses of two markhors were seen flowing in the river along the game reserve after being thrown by the department.

Local community worker Ahmad Shah, too, said he saw many markhor carcasses in the river.

It is learnt that a local slaughtered an ailing markhor from Sharisham area for meat though under the rules, he was bound to take it to local veterinary hospital.

A Wildlife Department official confirmed the incident to Dawn.

Locals graze goats in the game reserve openly and even they have established special sheds for them there.

A herdsman, Noor Khan, said some kept goats in sheds after sunset, while others herd them back to their respective villages.

Veterinary doctor Shaikh Ahmad said markhors contracted the killer disease from goats and the only way to save the former was to keep the latter away.

He said goats and markhors drank water from the same steams and ponds at higher altitudes and therefore, their convergence at a commonplace led to disease transmission.

According to him, last year, carcasses of many markhors killed by unidentified poachers were taken to the hospital.

A villager, Khalid Khan, said WWF sent a team of veterinary specialists from Veterinary Research Institute, Peshawar, to the game reserve last year to learn about markhor diseases but its findings were never made public. He said the team reportedly recommended a ban on grazing in the game reserve.

Conservation worker Miraj Ahmad said grazing in the game reserve helped markhor poachers.

According to him, this year, two markhor hunting permits were given away by the Wildlife Department in Toshi Shasha Game Reserve for $95,000 and $90,000.

When contacted, divisional forest officer of Wildlife Division, Chitral, Imtiaz Hussain confirmed illegal grazing in the game reserve but said the department couldn’t stop locals from grazing goats in the game reserve.

“We can only persuade them to stop grazing their goats and this is what we’ve been doing,” he said.