KASHMIR MARKHOR RECOVERY PROJECT

The Kashmir Markhor Recovery Project aims at improving the population status of the once thought to be extinct species, the Pirpanjal Markhor (Capra falconeri) in Jammu and Kashmir. The team aims to achieve the objective by implementing focused activities in the landscape such as exploration of new and protection of critical markhor habitats, assessing the effects of anthropogenic pressure and livestock grazing on markhor and its habitat. The project fits under the big idea of the organization-Species Recovery.

The Markhor is the largest wild goat in the world and in India, the subspecies is found only in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The species is enlisted in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and categorized as ‘Near Threatened’ under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In 2004, WTI along with the Department of Wildlife Protection, J&K, the Environment and Ecology cell and the Indian Army undertook extensive surveys within the past distribution range of markhor and established a scientific baseline replacing the previous guess estimates. Subsequent surveys in the following years revealed only two markhor populations i.e. Kazinag and Pir Panjal totalling around 250 individuals. Additionally, the surveys also highlighted the threats this critically low population species was facing, ranging from loss of habitats due to encroachment, illegal grazing inside Protected Areas (PAs), linear infrastructure development, anthropogenic pressures, lack of awareness, lack of manpower for protection, hunting for bush meat, and lack of stringent enforcement of the law.

In the last couple of years, WTI has been monitoring different sites and working with the local communities and herders to conserve markhor and its habitat. The project team has also conducted occupancy surveys, assessed the impact of livestock on markhor habitat, held consultations with migratory herders and locals to reduce pressure on markhor habitat and linked locals and migratory herders with different welfare schemes of Govt. and other agencies. Additionally, informer networks were developed to control the poaching of this species.

Apart from these activities, the project lists a number of other urgent interventions to secure the Markhor population in Kashmir. Previous consolidated efforts have enabled the declaration of a National Park exclusive for markhors, an extension of the Hirpora WLS and a declaration of the Tattakuti WLS for the species. Further intervention is now required to reduce the grazing pressure and wildlife crime. According to WTI’s conservation impact, reduced threats will improve the population of Markhor by 20% and occupancy by 10% in J&K by 2023.

PARTNERS: Astral Foundation, Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir

PROJECT LEAD: Dr. Tanushree Srivastava