Elderly snow leopard dies naturally in Chitral, officials confirm

ISLAMABAD (APP) :An elderly male snow leopard found dead in the Garam Chashma area of Chitral earlier this week died of natural causes, officials confirmed on Tuesday, calling the incident a rare indicator of improving human–wildlife coexistence in the region.

 

The carcass was discovered on January 19 in a forested area above Wakht village. A joint field assessment and postmortem examination conducted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department and the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) concluded that the approximately 12-year-old animal died due to severe diarrhoea and dehydration linked to old age and prolonged food shortage.

 

Officials told APP there was no evidence of poaching, poisoning, snaring or any other form of human-induced harm.

 

Experts noted that in many parts of the world large carnivores rarely survive to old age due to conflict with humans, making a natural death in the wild a rare ecological signal.

 

Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Shezra Mansab Kharal said the case reflected the impact of science-based conservation and community engagement.

 

“This shows that when communities are supported and involved, coexistence with rare species like the snow leopard is possible. A natural death of such an animal reflects improved protection and growing public awareness in Pakistan’s mountain landscapes,” she said.

 

The Garam Chashma area had drawn attention in recent months after videos of snow leopards near human settlements circulated on social media, raising concerns among residents. In response, the KP Wildlife Department and SLF held community awareness sessions and promoted preventive measures to protect livestock.

 

According to SLF, local communities opted for long-term solutions rather than compensation claims, leading to the provision of livestock vaccination and commitments to expand predator-proof corrals, livestock insurance schemes and conservation education in the area.

 

GSLEP Emissary Jamal Leghari said most snow leopards across their range are lost to human-related causes.

 

“When an animal survives long enough to die naturally, it is a strong sign that coexistence is working on the ground,” he said.

 

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Chitral Farooq Nabi said field teams inspected the site and found no signs of conflict or illegal activity.

 

“The postmortem clearly indicates natural causes. This reflects consistent patrolling, community cooperation and coordination with conservation partners,” he said.

 

SLF Director Dr Muhammad Ali Nawaz said the case should be seen in a broader conservation context.

 

“In areas where human-caused mortality is common, a natural death is not just a biological event but a coexistence signal. It shows this animal avoided persecution throughout its life,” he said.

 

While describing the loss of any snow leopard as unfortunate, he said the circumstances demonstrated that community-based conservation efforts were producing results.

 

Authorities and SLF said they would continue strengthening conflict-mitigation measures, expanding livestock protection programmes and maintaining monitoring and protection across Chitral’s snow leopard habitat.