By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL; The swarming number of stray dogs in Chitral city has become a potential threat to the population of kashmir markhor in the Chitral Gol National Park which borders the city in the city.
The dogs entered the park area from the city and chased the markhor and lead them to flee to the villages flanking the park and such incidents took place twice during the last week when the wild goats were spotted in the vicinity of Chitral Airport and the Chew Bridge.
The divisional forest officer of Chitral Gol wildlife Division, Irshad Ahmed told Chitral Times that the stray dogs can be seen in the buffer zone of the park in large number and easily entered the park as it is not possible for the watchers to keep a constant watch on the borders of the park.
He said that due to the strict conservation process, the population of markhor is on constant rise in the park due to which a large number of them tend to graze in the areas of the park which bordered the buffer zone adjoining the city.
Mr. Ahmed said that the department of health and tehsil municipal administration was approached time and again to launch campaign to kill the stray dogs in the buffer zone and core area of the park but to no avail.
He said that to kill the dogs inside the park, ordinary method of poisoning the dogs cannot be adopted inside the park as it posed threat to the biodiversity of the park including markhor for which special operation is required.
The district health officer Dr. Iftikhar, when contacted by Chitral Times to know his version, said that soon after taking charge of his office last month, he has taken cognizance of the population of stray dogs in the city and is planning to launch a grand campaign.
He said that special campaign will be designed to kill the dogs inside the park area as well as the buffer zone area.
