By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL; The speakers in an awareness session emphasized the importance of snow leopard in the promotion of eco-tourism in Chitral which is known as the habitat of the national carnivorous of the country whose presence near the city in commonly accessible place has lured the tourists to the area.
Held by the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) as the celebration of world wildlife day, the session was themed as ‘importance of eco-tourism in snow leopard conservation’ which was addressed by conservationists including Iltaf Ali Shah, Shafiqullah Khan, Ijazur Rehman, Akhtar Roomi and many others.
They said that eco-tourism is an emerging and specialized discipline which has been closely linked with the bio-diversity of any area with special reference to snow leopard which has been listed as endangered on the red list of IUCN.
Substantiating the theme, they said that the eco-tourism has caused to lessening the perils faced the wild cat who explored its habitats and it was an observed fact in Chitral that it was easily spotted near Chitral town when the influx of tourists used to be on its peak many years ago which has now disappeared.
They said that the SLF has created an environment in Chitral which friendly to snow leopard by its intervention in the community such that the hunters of the wild cat have now become its guard.
The sub-divisional officer of wildlife department, Iltaf Ali Shah said that Chitral was rich in bio-diversity which supported 42 endemic species of mammals, 173 endemic species of birds and 13 species of reptiles.
He said that its topography had a great variance divided into alpine meadows above 12000 feet, sub-alpine meadow above 9500 feet and dry temperate coniferous forest below 9500 feet while specific flora and fauna associated with each level of regions on altitude basis.
Mr. Shah said that Chitral Gol National Park was known on global level for its bio-diversity which bordered the Chitral town where population of snow leopard, kashmir markhor and deodar trees and other varieties of wildlife can make it an ideal tourist spot.
