Disastrous deluges have displaced species including jackals, deer and jungle cats; displacement increases risks of human-wildlife conflict and retaliatory killings, say experts.<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s ongoing floods<\/a> \u2014 among the deadliest in the country\u2019s recent history \u2014 have swept away villages, submerged farmland and forced over two million people from their homes, mainly in Punjab.<\/p>\n The consequences, however, are not limited to humans. The catastrophic deluge has also devastated the country\u2019s already fragile wildlife.<\/p>\n \u201cEntire habitats have been submerged, encompassing everything from scrub forests and rangelands to critical wetlands that act as wildlife sanctuaries,\u201d Rafiul Haq, a Karachi-based ecologist, told Anadolu.<\/p>\n Displaced jackals, wild boars, chinkara antelope, and even elusive jungle cats are now venturing into villages in search of food and shelter, he added.<\/p>\n Such encounters bring new dangers. Studies show human-wildlife conflict rises sharply after floods, and Pakistan is no exception.<\/p>\n \u201cRural areas, now burdened with displaced carnivores and omnivores, are witnessing increased attacks on livestock including goats, sheep and poultry, leading to retaliatory killings that threaten to push rare species further toward extinction,\u201d Haq said.<\/p>\n Uzma Khan, a wildlife conservation specialist with the WWF-Pakistan, said fragmented habitats are weakening the resilience of local ecosystems, leaving wildlife populations more vulnerable to conflicts with humans.<\/p>\n \u201cNumerous snakes have entered communities in recent days,\u201d she said. \u201cMany were rescued, but some, including pythons, were killed.\u201d<\/p>\n She warned that floods can also spark disease outbreaks in livestock that spill over into wild populations. Stagnant water, she said, provides breeding grounds for insects that spread infections.<\/p>\n \u201cThis requires close monitoring and vaccination of livestock to reduce the risk of outbreaks,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Animals swept across borders<\/p>\n Floodwaters often carry ungulates such as sambar deer and hog deer from across the border in India into Pakistan, further straining the country\u2019s stressed ecosystems.<\/p>\n \u201cThese deer, which include rare chinkara species, usually get injured after being struck by rocks and trees in the rivers, and require proper treatment before their release,\u201d Kamran Bukhari, a senior conservator at the Punjab Wildlife Department, told Anadolu, adding that they are closely monitored.<\/p>\n So far this year, dozens of hog deer, which are classified as endangered, have been rescued, he added.<\/p>\n Altaf Ali Shah, a wildlife department official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said torrential rains and glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) have displaced Himalayan ibex in Chitral district and destroyed habitats for birds, rodents, and reptiles.<\/p>\n