SURVEY FOR THE ASIATIC CHEETAH Acinonyx jubatus
IN BALOCHISTAN PROVINCE, PAKISTAN

The Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered cats. Iran is the only place where Asiatic cheetahs are known with certainty to exist today in small numbers, the cat having been wiped out from the rest of its vast historical range from the Arabian peninsula through the Middle East into Pakistan and India. The cheetah was believed to have disappeared from Pakistan, according to the 1996 IUCN Cat Specialist Group’s Cat Action Plan.

But in recent years, the author, a prominent Pakistani naturalist, has collected a number of reports and records suggesting the possibility that some cheetah might continue to survive in remote areas of Pakistan’s westernmost desert province of Balochistan. For example, there have been reports of sightings, of the shooting of a cheetah by a geologist, of the capture of two small spotted cubs in an area known for its gazelle habitat, and sightings of cheetah skins in the black markets in major cities in Pakistan.

No surveys for the cheetah have ever been carried out before in Pakistan. The author put together a team of experienced local Balochi naturalists and guides, and travelled through potential cheetah habitat to interview the locals about this rare cat. This project was ranked as high priority by the World Conservation Union’s Cat Specialist Group. Appendix 1 is the original project proposal for this survey.

  The following is a report of the survey conducted to determine the status of the Asiatic cheetah and other species of the family FELIDAE, in South Western, South Central and some parts of North Balochistan, Pakistan. The Coastal area (Mekran coast) was studied from one end to the other. Some areas, although not originally included in our plan, like the Cholistan Desert (District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab) and Kirthar, Mahal Kohistan ( District Dadu & Thatta, Sind), have also been surveyed. See Figure 1.

 We have covered more area than we had originally planned to. During this trip we have done 4100 Kms by road. More than 80 percent of it was cross country in one of the roughest, toughest and most treacherous terrains that we have ever encountered, or could have ever imagined.

 The group consisted of some very very dedicated and determined bunch of individuals, who have put in their best, throughout the trip. We were 13 permanent members with about 4 or 5 people joining us temporarily in each new camp. We made every attempt to interview all knowledgeable local people along our survey route, and held more than 80 interviews. Data and information about all the different species of Cats especially the Cheetah, Leopard, Caracal, Manul, Sand Cat, Fishing cat and the Leopard cat has been collected and compiled.

 This survey was supported and funded by the BARBARA DELANO FOUNDATION, on the recommendation of CAT, through its Director, KRISTIN NOWELL. Mr. PETER JACKSON, Chairman Species Survival Commision, Cat Specialist Group, IUCN was also actively involved in the execution of this project.

FIGURE 1. MAP OF AREA SURVEYED, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2000

EXPLANATION OF THE NUMBERS & COLOUR CODES

BROWN SHADING HARA PLAIN
BLUE SHADING SIAHAAN RANGE
GREEN SHADING THE AREAS SURVEYED
RED LINE ROUTE FOLLOWED
BLACK THICK LINE IRAN PAKISTAN BORDER
BLUE THICK LINE AFGHAN PAKISTAN BORDER

NUMBERS 1 TO 22

No. 1: Soda Khans Village, with the Kirthar Range towards its North West and the Sumbak, Hothiano, Eerie, Kamboh mountains also situated in that same direction. This was our first camp. We stayed here from the 21^st. to the 23^rd. and left for Hingol on the morning of the 24^th.

No. 2 & 3, are the areas surveyed during our stay at Haji Soda’s village. These are the famous Jhimpir, Bolari and Jungshahi plains, with the INDUS on their Eastern side.

No. 4, is the Hara plain , which we went through our journey. This has the famous Hara range towards itsWestern side.

No. 5, is the Phor Stream where we spent the night of the 24th, due to a number of tyre flats. The Sangar plain and mountain are located midway between No. 5 and No. 6.

No.6 was the Hingol Camp. The Haarian plain is exactly to the North of No. 6 and so is the Goran Gutt mountain. The Nani mountain, infact the whole of the Hingol National Park is covered in the green shading around No.6

No.7, is our Camp at Ormara, where we stayed from the 29^th.Of October till the 4^th. Of November. No 8 and No. 9 are the Mal Plain and the Basol River. Cheetahs were shot here by one Dad Bux and Faqir Khuda Bux, whom we interviewed personally. These are vast plains and were full of Gazelles till about ten years ago. The details of these killings shall be sent in report No. 2.

No.10, is a plain where we were told that Chinkaras are still to be found. We surveyed this area before moving on to Pasni.

No. 11, was our Camp at Pasni where we stayed for two days, but moved on to Turbat because of negative reports.

No. 12 was our Camp at Turbat, the Divisional HQ, and the HQs of the Mekran Scouts.

No. 13, was the area where the nephew of the Khan of Kalat, claimed to have shot a Cheetah in 1962. We were able to locate one of the old Shikaris, who had accompanied him then, and interviewed him extensively.

No. 14, is the area along the Iranian border, near the Mand Wing Headquarters. We travelled from one side and came back from the other.

No. 15, was an overnight halt at the Mekran Scouts Post, Hoshab. Other areas being too dangerous, according to the Intelligence Officers of the Scouts. We were also strongly advised not to travel at night, which we could not avoid doing; because of long distances to be covered and the terrible condition of the track.

No.16, Our Camp at Panjgur, where we spent enough time to investigate the reports about Wildlife.

No. 17, and 18 are the areas along the Iranian border. The Siahan range almost touches the area around No. 17. The last post Grawag is also here.

No. 19, is the Nag valley. Large plains, with typical semi desert plants and grasses. Must have been full of Gazelles at some point of time. This is where the Houbara Foundation has its research centre. As per comments Dr. Paul Goriup, in T.J Roberts book; this is where a Cheetah was sighted in 1991-92. We did not see a single Houbara, nor did we receive reports of their breeding from the locals in the last 4 or 5 years. This also was an overnight stop.

No. 20, Surab is a Sub division, where we spent the night.

No. 21, was Quetta, where we got some very useful information, about wildlife in the province and across the border in Afghanistan also.

No. 22, Was the residence of Mir Yar Mohammed Rind, a Tribal Sardar, who is known for the protection of Gazelles in his area. These are the largest plains in the whole of the Province. Because of their proximity to the Central Brauhi Range, we investigated these also.

The route marked in red from there onwards, was our route to Khanpur and onwards to Lahore.

SURVEY EXPEDITION REPORT

PHASE 1 16^th. 17^th. 18^th. October

The party from Lahore, consisting of Tasvir Husain, Afzal Ranjha, Major (R) Tanvir, Mohammed Shafi, Mr.Aziz and Ather Salim left for Khanpur enroute to Karachi, on the morning of the 16^th. Of October 2000. See Appendix 1 for personnel details. Jackson, the mechanic had already left on the 15^th. with the three Jeeps and one trailer, which had been transported to Karachi by trucks. We reached Khanpur in the evening. Khadim the tracker and Billy the cook were waiting to accompany us to Karachi. We camped at Chak 10, and interviewed some old hunters and guides.

We went to the edge of the desert, where most of the Cholistanis have come with their livestock, because of severe drought inside the desert. I wanted to find out the position of the Caracal, Felis caracal, the Jungle Cat Felis chaus and the Sand Cat, Felis margarita scheffeli, from them.

Most of them had seen the Jungle Cat, Felis chaus, called JUNGLI BILLA, which they said was mostly found along the edge of the green belt. We ourselves have seen these a number of times in the recent past. Some of them are really big.

The Caracal was immediately recognized from the photographs as BARANG, the local name. According to them it was found inside the desert, in plains as well as the dunes. Its prey consisted of mice, rabbits and newly born Chinkaras (These are called HARAN , in the local language). These Barangs sometimes kill and carry off newly born lambs also. They claim that these Barangs mostly hunt in pairs, sometmes catching adult antelopes also.

I myself have driven onto a freshly killed male Chinkara, which had not been eaten as yet. Probably the Caracals had walked away from their kill on hearing us approach. On investigating the tracks, we were able to see how one of the Caracals had deliberately driven the Chinkara towards a bend in the sand dune, where its mate was lying in ambush. The Caracal had sprung onto the unsuspecting Antelope, and catching it by the throat, had brought it to the ground after a prolonged struggle.

There has been a steady but rapid decline in the population of these Caracals, in the last decade or so. We cannot blame it on human encroachment, loss of habitat or lack of prey. It is because caracals are trapped, shot and poisoned for their tails, which are chopped off and presented as evidence, to collect rewards from the adminstration of the Arab Falconers. The falconers have the misconception (or have been deliberately misinformed, because it involves a lot of money) that the Fox, the Jackal, the Steppes Eagle, the Golden Eagle and all forms of Cats, are the enemies and predators of the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata). The rewards offered by these people are enough of an incentive for the locals (who belong to a low-income group); to ensure the extermination and extinction of the species mentioned above. This should be looked into and measures adopted to stop this destruction.

On seeing the photographs of the Sand Cat, most of the locals professed to have seen it occasionally. They were not sure about the hair on its pads. They said that because they had never killed it, therefore they did not have an oppurtunity to examine its feet. According to them it was an inhabitant of the sand dunes and not the plains. Most of them had seen it at night. They also said that it had an extraordinary large face with even larger ears. This needs to be investigated further.

The Wolf, Canis lupus pallipes, is called NAHAR, in the local language. It is close to extinction. Very few people had seen it recently. One very reliable person, Nihal Mahar, told me out of earshot of the others, where he had recently seen a lair of a female with its young. He was afraid that if the others overheard him, they would probably go and kill the entire family. I told him to take good care and ensure that no harm befalls them. These probably might be one of the last survivors of the Desert Wolf. It would be a great shame and loss if this were allowed to happen. I know it is a species, which is not the direct concern of CAT, but maybe you could pass on this information to somebody who could help. The Steppes Eagle and the Golden Eagle are also endangered.

PHASE 2 19^th. 20^th.. October

We reached Karachi on the morning of the 19^th. and spent two days there in buying supplies, contacting people and gathering the latest information. Haji Soda Khan and the driver Siddique joined us there. Captain Nadir Shah of the 14^th. Punjab Regiment, who at present is posted in Quetta, and Mr. Farhan also flew into Karachi to join us. We met some very old Shikaris and hunters who gave us some very useful information.

An old Shikari/Guide, Musa Khaskeli related how he had seen a Cheetah called TAAZI CHITTOO, locally (Taazi in Sindhi means Greyhound), hunting Chinkaras, Gazellabennett i called HAR in sindhi, in the Jhimpir plains in the mid forties (Jhimpir is a very vast plain, about fifty kilometres west of the Indus and extends upto the Kirthar range). This was the period when this area had Gazelles in the hundreds. We met Mr. Mahmood Rizvi, a very keen sportsman and Trophy hunter. He has hunted extensively in the Coastal region of Balochistan. He was full of information about the wildlife conditions in that area and gave us some very useful contacts. He had also heard about the Cheetah but never seen one. We also met Nawab, Son of Haji Deedak Zigri, and an influential of the Ormara area who was supposed to accompany us; but expressed his inability to do so. But he was kind enough to refer us to the people who mattered in that area.

We also went to see the Director General of the Coast Guards, Brigadier Mahmood, under whose jurisdiction the coastal areas fall. He was kind enough to issue a directive to all his Posts, Companies and Wing HQs, to look after us and also offer help and assistance, if required (Appendix 2). We were therefore, very well looked after, wherever we went in their area.

PHASE 3 21^st. 22^nd. 23^rd. October

On the morning of the 21^st. we left for Mahal Kohistan and established camp at Haji Soda’s village (Marked No. 1 on the map). Two days were spent in surveying the area and interviewing the elders and the local guides and shikaris. The last time that anyone had seen signs of a Cheetah was 35 to 40 years ago. These had been observed in the plains of Bulari, Jungshahi, Jhimpir and the valleys in the foothills of the Kirthar Range. All these plains are extensive and must have been ideal country for the Cheetah and its prey, the Gazelles. The locals attribute the disappearance of the Cheetah to the near extinction of its chief prey, the gazelles.

Children at Haji Soda Khan’s village.

Leopards, Panthera pardus sindica, called CHITTOO locally (Sindhi) were occasionally seen in almost all the mountains along the Karachi—Hyderabad highway till as recently as the late seventies. Even now there are reports of sightings, especially in the mountains which are connected with the Pab and the Dumbar ranges. Sometimes a solitary Leopard still strays into Arrdi, Uth Palan, Mole, Surjana, Eerie, Kamboh, Hothiano, Sumbak and Sarri mountains. These are at a distance of 60 to 140 kms from Karachi (Marked No. 2 on the map), almost bordering Balochistan. These mountains are well stocked with Ibex, Capra aegagrus, Urial, Ovis vignei , and Chinkaras in the valleys. The Late Dr. Rizvi shot the last recorded Leopard in 1977, in the Kirthar range. Some were shot later on also, but these were not publicised due to fear of legal action. The locals informed us that the Leopards which were fairly common in their area, started killing domestic livestock due to unavailability of its natural prey (It was after the mid seventies that these ungulates started making a come back from near extinction, thanks to the single handed efforts and interest of the Late Malik Sikander Khan of Thana Bula Khan. This was his heriditary territory and he had asked his clansmen and his tribe, the Burfats, not to let any hunting take place). According to them their prey consisted of Ibex, Urial, Rabbits, Gazelles, Porcupines and even Rats. The domestic animals killed by the Leopards consisted of Goats, Sheep, Dogs, Donkeys, Cattle and rarely Camels. Due to the destruction of the livestock, the locals would poison the kills, lay traps and sometimes track them and shoot them.

Caracals called HARULA(Sindhi) locally, were fairly common in the past in all of Dadu and Thatta district. Today we hardly came across anyone who had seen them in the recent past; except Soda Khan and another Guide, Sattar, who claimed to have seen fresh tracks of a single Caracal in the Malir river bed and in the foothills of the Arrdi mountain. This Caracl was living chiefly on mice and a few rabbits. There have been instances in the past where Caracals killed newly born Ibex called SARRAH in Sindhi and Urial lambs, called GAD in Sindhi. Another old man who was a shikari and guide in the past, related how he had seen two HARULAS together at night. He said that they hunted Rabbits, Lizards, Snakes, Rats and sometimes caught Chinkara antelopes. Aagina Khaskeli, another goatherd of the same locality related how a Harula had caught one of his young goats, when it wandered away towards some bushes, where the Caracal was lying in wait. According to him it made the final dash from about ten feet and caught the goat from its throat.

Nobody has ever seen or heard of the Sand Cat or the Pallas Cat in these areas. The Jungle Cat called JHANG JO BILLO , in Sindhi is still to be found in small numbers. We saw one from about 75 to 100 yards, which ran across our Jeep. We also saw some tracks, both fresh and old. These were mostly present in areas where there was some sort of grass, scrub or shrubbery. The fishing cat is also found in small numbers along the banks of the Kinjhar and Haleji Lakes in district Thatta and along the banks of the Manchar Lake, in district Dadu. These are unfortunately shot or trapped for their skins, which are sold in Karachi. The reasons for the absence or reduction in numbers of the Caracal are not clear to me. As only three or four years ago it was very common to see one or two in a days trip, especially in the Bolari, Jungshahi and Jhimpir plains (Marked No. 3 on the map).

PHASE 4 24^th. October

We left Soda Khan’s village on the morning of the 24^th. at 6 AM, reached Karachi at 8 AM. We waited for the shops to open, as there were still some things left to buy. We left for Hingol via, Hub Chowki, Zero point and reached Lyari at 4 PM. There was a sign displayed at a point from where the new Coastal highway is going to start. It said: Hingol 110 kms, Ormara 235 kms, Pasni 432 kms, Gawadar 520 kms and Jiwani 640 kms. All this information proved to be incorrect later on. The distances were actually much more. We could not travel at speeds of more than 15-20 km/hr due to the terrible condition of the track.

The first impression on entering this plain with the Hara range one one side, and a semi-desert terrain, which extends right to the coast, on the other is that this is some Savannah land in Africa, and we are about to see all sorts of plains game including Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, etc. But alas, the Gazelles have disappeared and so have the Cheetahs.

We stopped at a wayside tea shack in the Hara plain at a distance of 42 kms from Lyari (Marked No. 4 on the map, Figure 1), at 6:15 PM. This shack was owned by Abdul Rahim Angario. He strangely enough speaks Urdu, Sindhi and Balochi also. This is the southern side of the Hara range and Plain, called Hara Nakhati. He lives in Kund. He has never seen the Cheetah but has heard from his elders and Shikaris about it. He was able to describe the Cheetah in detail without having looked at the photographs. He also described the habits and methods of hunting of the Cheetah. He immediately recognized the tracks of the Leopard, from photographs, and related how he had seen fresh pug marks in a ravine in the mountain behind his house. He claims to have seen them in the month of July near a water point. According to him there are a few Leopards surviving in the Hara, which live off the Ibex, Urial and domestic livestock. He says that as long as prey is available, these Leopards do not attack or destry domestic animals. The few people that we met there, told us that now one could hope to see one or two Chinkaras in a day, and those also in the foothils or Ravines of the Hara range. The Leopard here is called CHITTOO and POULANG both. The first is a Sindhi word and the second a Balochi.

Abdul Rahim described a Caracal in detail, which he had seen from very close, about 10 to 12 years ago. He said it was buff brown in colour, bigger than an ordinary cat, had longer ears, had hair on its ear tips, and tracks that look like those of a leopard except, that they are smaller. Kills small goats in pens also. Was eating a young chinkara when he saw it. He also said that it hunts and seeks it prey at night. He was calling it by the Sindhi name Harula.

He mentioned an old Shikari, Ayoob who lives at a distance of 10 to 12 kms from his shack. Another hunter he mentioned was Dad . Both these hunters were supposed to have killed numerous Leopards in their time. Maybe some of these were Cheetahs. The sole motive in killing these predators was for their skins, which were sold in Karachi for a few hundred rupees.

We failed to make it to Hingol National Park that same day, because of numerous tyre punctures. We halted for the night at the bank of the Phor stream (Marked No. 5 on the map). Next morning we left for Hingol at 6:30 AM. After travelling for 20 to 25 kms, we stopped at Sangar, at a wayside shop/hotel owned by an old hunter, named Hasan. He is a very experienced and knowledgeable person. He was confused between the tracks of the Leopard and the Cheetah, but insisted that he had seen the Cheetah about 25 yrs ago under the Dandel Mountain. Now he is about 75 years old. Claims to have shot many Leopards in his younger days, with a muzzleloader. Says that the Cheetah was taller in the legs, had a small head and ran very fast. It would run after its prey to catch it whereas the Leopard was shorter, bulkier and would ambush its prey.

While we were showing the photographs, an onlooker (Very old man), named Moula Bux, on seeing the photograph of the Cheetah, immediately said that it was a HONZ , the Baluchi name for the Cheetah. On enquiring from him how he recognized it, he said that he had seen a number of them in his younger days in the Sapat plain and the Hara plain. He was able to clearly differentiate between the pugmarks of the Leopard and the Cheetah. He has never seen a Cheetah female with cubs, but claims to have seen female Leopards twice, with two cubs each. He also described the PHUL GOSH , the Balochi name for the Caracal, perfectly, although hasn’t seen one recently. Says that there are very few Chinkaras now in Sapat and Pachani. Says the Honz is an animal, which is faster than a SHAHIN, Falco perigrinus(Peregerine Falcon). Last Cheetahs he saw were about 30 years ago. Has never seen a Sand Cat, Manul or a Goitered Gazelle.

PHASE 5 25^th. 26^th. 27^th. 28^th. October

 We managed to reach Hingol in the afternoon, and established camp near a water point along the bank of the Hingol River (Marked No. 6 on the map). We stayed in Hingol from the 25^th. till the 29^th. The members of our team during this period were assigned different areas to survey. Three four people each would go into pre selected areas in vehicles, and the more physically fit would hike into the mountains, namely Capt Nadir, Shafi, Afzal Ranjha, Yaqub and one local guide, Badal and tracker, Rasool Bux . The vehicles would go into the plains around Hingol, one being led by Maj Tanvir and the other by myself. Noku would accompany one Jeep and Soda Khan, the other.

On one occasion, we took all three Jeeps and managed to get to the Harian Plain, where I years ago had seen Chinkara Gazelles in the hundreds. This we were able to accomplish by travelling in the dried up bed of the Hingol River and later going into smaller streams. The last 5 or 6 kms. were covered on foot. We saw three gazelles during that time, but it was obvious that the numbers had declined rapidly in the last fifteen years. From the tracks that we saw there, our estimate was that now there were no more than 25 to 30 gazelle in that area. This population, in my opinion would not be sufficient to sustain a Cheetah.

Noku was of the view that there were 55 to 60 Chinkaras still there. Haarian is the place where most of the Cheetah sightings were reported from. This was the same place where I had seen Cheetah tracks in 1976, and signs of two kills in 1980-81. The presence of the Cheetah must have been so strong that even today everyone recognizes this name including children aged 8 to 10. We interviewed a number of people who had seen the Cheetah and would describe it in detail. They could differentiate between the photographs of the Leopard and the Cheetah. Some of them would immediately recognize the pug marks, especially the old timers. The younger interviewees would sometimes confuse it with the tracks of a Hyena, because of the claw marks left by both. The Baluchi (language spoken in this area) name for the Cheetah is HONZ or HOONZ. The name for the Leopard is POLANG or POULANG. The name for the Hyena is AAPTAR or AAFTAR. The name for the Wolf is GURK.

In all about 27 people were interviewed in the Hingol area and conversations regarding wildlife were held with numerous other locals. Everybody was of the view that the last sightings of cheetah were 15 to 20 years ago. We could not get a piece of skin or bones. According to the locals, the skins of any cats shot by them were sold in Karachi. One person narrated how he had spent 4 days in travelling to Karachi to sell two skins, one of a Cheetah and the other of a Leopard, which he sold for a paltry sum of 550 rupees ($10).

There have been no rains in the whole of Baluchistan in the last four years. Most of the water points have dried up. Water is only available in the Hingol River and that also in the few deep depressions in the bed of the river. This is where the few surviving Crocodiles are to be found. The Crocodile is called WAGHOO.

We saw some Ibex called BUZ for a female and PACHIN for a male, on the mountains that we climbed, but they too were in very poor condition. There were no Leopards in any of these mountain ranges. We did not see a single track, nor did we receive any reports of sightings or signs from the locals. The last authentic sighting was three years ago, by a Park ranger, when he was accompanying some wildlife official in the Nani Mountain. These are the same Mountains that were full of Leopards till the late eighties.

Another strange phenomenon was that there was a total absence of any other members of the Cat species. The Caracal, which is called PHUL GOSH ( Phul means Flower and Gosh means ear) and the Jungle cat called FISHIE or GURBA , in the local language are both missing in these areas, although there was a strong presence here of both these species, till very recently. We did not see any signs or tracks in the mountains, plains, valleys or the riverbeds and streams. The locals could not offer any explanation for their dissappearence. The Sand Cat and the Manul are not known here. But there were reports of some Fishing cats from near the river and the marsh areas along the coast.

Goran Gutt mountain in the background.

There is a mountain, alongside the Haarian Plain, towards the north east of Hingol, which has not been climbed so far because of its unusual formation. This is called GORAN GUTT . Because of its inaccessibility, it is supposed to be full of Ibex and Urial (Mountain Sheep), locally called GADD. Locals belonging to areas near that mountain claim to have seen Leopards in its ravines and nullahs. They also offered to take us there but it would have entailed a jouney of three days on Camel back. Therefore we declined their offer. This is one place which should be investigated thoroughly and in detail at some later date. As far as I know, no one has been on top of this mountain. We also went and camped there for four days in the eighties, but failed to locate a route that would take us to the top. The only possible way to get onto the top would be by Helicopter. I am sure that whatever few animals are found on the mountains surrounding Goran Gutt, basically are the result of the overflow from this safe haven.

Pir Bux of Sangar and Mohammed Khan of Nani were two others that came to our camp. They were bringing Phish (Local name for the dwarf palm) from Dandel. They said that before Hingol became a National Park, someone from their area shot a Leopard, which had killed his goats. They did not see the Leopard, but saw the skin. Know of the Cheetah and the Caracal, but cannot recognize them from photographs, or the pugmarks. Made positive identification of the Leopard, and its pugmarks, but say that now there is none in the immediate vicinity.

Noku, who is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable guide/shikaris of this area, stayed with us throughout the Hingol Ormara area. He is also employed by the Wildlife department as a game watcher. He says there was the Leopard in the mountains and the Cheetahs in the plains. He claims to have seen Cheetah in Haarian about15 to 20 years ago, the last time. He says, as a young man he once saw a female with four cubs. He is about 70 years old now. He talks of the speed of the animal. Says he once saw it catch an Ibex on one of the mountaintops, GARRI, which is flat at the top. He says this was the time when there were gazelles everywhere, but there are next to none now.

He hasn’t seen Leopards recently. He says sometimes a loner strays into the National Park area. He saw tracks at Ali Al Qum (a water point on top of the Nani Mountain), 4 months ago in the summer, but hasn’t seen tracks since. He reports a lot of human activity in the National Park. Hasn’t seen a Caracal for quite some time. Hasn’t seen or heard of the Sand Cat or the Manul. Only saw Goiterred Gazelle once, when the Late Jam of Lasbela, shot a pair, near the Ras Malan area. The Jam told him that he had shot a number of these near the Iranian border, in the sixties. According to his estimate, there are 250 to 300 Ibex in the NP area and about 25 to 30 Urials.

Qamru, was another source of information, but was given to exaggerating things a bit. He says that he saw a number of Cheetahs and Leopards in his days. Says the Cheetah is very dangerous to humans. His account of how his Camel was attacked and killed by one, seemed rather untrue. However, he recognized the tracks of the Cheetah and the Leopard immediately. Gave good, detailed and accurate descriptions of both. Has definitely seen the two species. Says last time he saw a Cheetah was near Maneji, about 20 years ago. Claims to have seen Leopard last year in one of the Goran Gutt ravines. Also says that there are many there. Has never seen a Caracal, nor the Sand Cat or the Manul.

Badal of Dandel, is another young guide and hunter of this area. He too is a game watcher. Has never seen Cheetah. Knows of it from his father who lived and grazed his goats near Haarian. Went with Mr. Gul Mohammed to show him a Leopard, which had taken residence in Nani, about three years ago. They were able to spot it but Gul Mohammed could not take photographs. He also says that there are Chinkaras in Haarian, but not as much as they used to be. Never seen Goittered gazelle. Never seen Caracal. When asked whether goatherds had reported any Leopard track recently in the NP area, we were told that goat and sheep grazing are banned there. But strangely enough there is a great amount of human activity going on there. Buildings are being constructed, generators are being run and vehicles are plying to and fro.

No presence of Hyenas or Wolves was observed or reported. No damage to livestock reported, except by two crocodiles near the Coast guard camp.

We also interviewed the local Coast guard commander, Captain Afsar Shah, who is a keen sportsman and knows his area very well. He has never seen any big or medium sized cats during his posting here. He has seen the Fishing Cat three or four times along the banks of the Hingol River. He warned us to be careful of the Sand Fly, which is very common in this area. He says that he patrols his area regularly, but has only seen Chinkaras two or three times in Sapat. According to him a lot of hunting takes place inside the NP, with the connivance of the game watchers and their bosses.

A party headed by Capt. Nadir went up the Nani Mountain. They saw 3 Ibex in one place and 2 more in another. They saw a number of Ibex tracks near the water point, Ali Al Qum. They also saw a full grown dead male near the water point. The watchers said that it had died of drinking too much water, but our team members were able to find a small calibre bullet hole in the stomach. Possibly a .22 rifle bullet.

Strangely enough, no tracks of Jackals, fox, or any other Cat species were observed during this 11-hour trip.

Another party headed by Maj. Tanvir had gone into the nullahs and ravines to look for any signs of wildlife. They too did not turn up anything.

Ali son of Babu, a Jamadar in the local levies narrated how the shoots for the Jam Sahib were arranged. Animals from all over would be driven into mountains, which were blocked from all sides. These drives would sometimes last for several days. When the animals were finally trapped, the Jam along with his guest would sit at the exit point and shoot. The bags would sometimes exceed a hundred animals. I asked him if Leopards, which were very common then were also shot? He said that very rarely. Normally the Leopards would hide in caves and not expose themselves. This was all the area of the Lasbela State, ruled by the Jam Sahib.

Qadu a resident of Haddi claims that the biggest concentration of Gazelles is still in the plains of Haarian, Dalui and Kuli. All these are joined together with small streams separating them. He thinks the population of Gazelles in these three is above 60.

He says the Cheetah exists no longer. The Leopard is also very rare.

Khuda Bux claims to be above a hundred years of age. Remembers the 1^st. World War and the 2^nd. one also. Says the soldiers had to come round the Goran Gutt mountain as there was no Pass on the Buzi top. Says his goats used to be regularly eaten by Wolves, Hyenas, Leopards and Caracals. He says he owned 1500 goats. Has very weak eyesight and therefore cannot see photographs. Is full of stories of days gone by. Says he saw numerous Cheetahs and Leopards in his time. A number of times he saw Cheetahs make a kill. He described it in exact detail. He was also talking of the speed and agility of the Cheetah. Last time he saw one was thirty years ago. Since then he has grown old and does not go out much.

Once a Leopard killed his Camel, and they poisoned the kill. The Leopard was found three days later near a water hole, nearly dead. So they hacked it to pieces with axes.

The Chinkara gazelle is called SAAID, in Balochi.

We were taken to numerous places to see tracks, but these invariably turned out to be either dogs or jackals or fox tracks.

From all accounts the Cheetah is EXTINCT in this area. The Leopard is also ENDANGERED. Maybe there are a few still left in the Goran Gutt Mountain where ample prey is available, and there is no human activity. The Caracal, if not Extinct is certainly on the verge of extinction. The Sand Cat and the Manul have probably never existed here.

Disheartened and depressed, we left Hingol for Ormara the next morning, the 29^th. of October 2000.

Sunset at the Hingol River.

 We left Hingol, on the 29^th. morning at 11 A.M for Ormara which is 140 Kms from here.

We are still travelling in three Jeeps. The condition of the track is very very poor. It would be inadvisible to travel in anything other than a 4x4 vehicle. We have a trailer behind us, which is loaded to more than its maximum capacity(since we are carrying the luggage, bedding, tents, foodstuff, fuel, some water of all the 14 people of the team and the generator also). There are 7 people in my Jeep, 4 in Mr. Aziz’s Jeep and 3 in Maj. Tanvir’s Jeep. Ther are some very steep climbs and hairpin bends before reaching the BUZI TOP. Our average speed has worked out to be 17 Kms. per hour.

As we left Hingol River and travelled about 4 Kms, we came to some very large valleys. There were numerous plains along the way. There is hardly any vegetation and no cultivation at all. A few Acacia trees could be seen, spread over the plains. The Mekran Coastal Range is on our right. First we come to the RAS MALAN Mountain (which slopes into the sea on its southern side, to our left ). Here, Ibex are not common but we saw a few tracks of URIAL (MountainSheep ).We did not see any signs of any other form of wildlife. Although, Leopards used to be quite common, in this part of the Coastal Range, in the past.

3 P.M, we are on top of the GOMAZI PASS (Buzi Top ). It is a beautiful sight from here. You can see the GORAN GUTT mountain on the north western side in the far distance. The climb has finished and the route is now constantly sloping towards the Ormara plains. Right on the top of this pass, we saw the tracks of a lone Chinkara female. We don’t know what it was doing on the top of the mountain. The tracks were made the previous night. We also saw the tracks of a lone Cat. These seemed to belong to the Jungle Cat. It must have been a resident as the tracks were regular and spread over a period of at least 4, 5 days.

After travelling for about 4 Kms, we saw an IBEX female with two young six, seven month old males. These were about 70 to 80 yards from us. They did not seem to be bothered and just stood there. It seemed that they were used to seeing vehicles passing by on this track. Another 2 Kms. further, we came across four more Male Ibex. This time they were about 200 to 250 yards away. One of them was a big male with horns about 41 or 42 inches. These were standing under a ledge in the shade, as it was still quite hot. They also did not react much to the sight of our vehicles. We were wondering what their fate would be once the Coastal highway was opened, and the area more easily accessible to hunters. Later on we were informed that lately, there were regular parties of hunters coming to this area and hunting these magnificient animals from vehicles.

4 P.M, we are now about 55 Kms from Ormara but have still not cleared the mountain range. Another 15 Kms. further the terrain started changing and we emerged out of the mountain. The view was as though out of a story book. The area in front (eastern ) and towards the right was open savannah land, with a few Acacia, Date Trees and some Dwarf Palms. On our left ( southern ), was the sea and further south east, one could see the Ormara Mountain itself, gently sloping into the sea ( covered on three sides by the sea). On our immediate right (northern ) was the foothills of the Coastal range extending right upto the Goran Gutt mountain.

This plain is called MANEJI, and used to be a famous spot for Chinkaras. Now there are hardly any. Later during our stay in Ormara, we came back to this spot, to investigate it thoroughly. We saw tracks of a single male Chinkara near the foothills towards the southern side. Closely following this Chinkara was a Caracal. These tracks were about two days old. We were able to take photographs also. Strangely enough, none of the locals had seen the Caracal.

We wanted to reach Ormara before dark, but got into Town at around 8 P.M (Marked No. 7 on the map). We drove straight to the Company H.Qs of the Coast Guards, where dinner had been prepared for us. Later we were taken to the Civil Rest House where we had been provided accomodation, by the Civil Adminstration. Ormara Town is a developing fishing village, with a population of about twelve to fifteen thousand people. It is also the Tehsil (County) H.Qs. It has recently seen a lot of activity because of the Naval base being established here, and also because of the upcoming Coastal Highway project.

Incidentally, this is the land route, which was followed by Alexander the Great on his return journey to Persia. He is supposed to have lost more than half of his Army in the desert, due to shortage of food, water and Malaria. The name of Ormara in those days was BAAGSIRA. He travelled from the Indus delta along the Coast, to Sonmiani, Hingol (Angkor, was the name of one of Alexanders Generals, who died here), Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and then onwards into Persia.

PHASE 7 30^th. 31^st. 1^st. 2^nd. & 3^rd. November

 We requested the Civil authorities and the Coast Guard officers to pass messages to the well known Guides/Hunters/Shikaris, that we wanted to see them. Some of these people were already known to us, as we had been told about them in Karachi and Hingol.

The first person to be interviewed was: Mir Dad Bux, Ex Chairman, Ormara:  Son of Roudin Bizenjo.  We had been told that he was a knowledgeable hunter who had once killed a Cheetah, a long time ago, and shown it to lots of people. We had to approach him with great care so as not to scare him off, for fear of prosecution. Once he was assured that we meant no harm, he was very frank and honest in his narration.

On being shown prints of Leopard and Cheetah tracks, he immediately recognized which one was which. He correctly pointed out the difference between the two. He says the Cheetah leaves claw marks in the ground and the Leopard does not. The claws of the HONZ are like those of a big dog. His exact words were, " The Honz has longer legs, is also longer in body length, but of slight built compared to the POULANG. They are very difficult to differentiate, because both have the same body colour. Spots are different". On being shown photographs, he made positive identification.

About how he had shot the Cheetah: " We were going to PASNI, and then onwards to TURBAT to perform the annual pilgrimage at the Shrine (we are Zigris). I had my entire family including small children with us. The family of Pir Daulat Shah of BASOL, was also with us. We were travelling in two vehicles. This is about 20 to 25 years ago, when there were hardly any vehicles. It used to take us two days to travel to Turbat, which is about 300 Kms from Ormara. After crossing Basol (Marked No. 8 on the map), as we entered the Basol Nadi (river), I saw two Poulangs crouching behind a mound on the far side of the Nadi. They seemed to be concentrating (looking ) at 6 or 7 small calves, which were grazing in a flat area about 60 to 70 yards away. I thought that these must be the same Poulang, which had attacked and injured a village woman of Basol, in the Mountain a few days earlier. These animals had probably never seen a vehicle before and just stood there watching us. I aimed and fired at one of them with my .303 Enfield. It was hit and we saw the other one running away at great speed, in the distance. The bullet had broken the spine and the animal in its agony was biting at stones, plants and shrubs. I circled it and approaching very near, shot it in the head to put it out of its misery. I am a hunter and one of my principles is that no animal should suffer unnecessasarily. I saw that it was a bigger Poulang than any, that I had shot so far. On closely examining it I realized that it was somehow different. It was a male, longer in the body and had longer legs. Meanwhile the other vehicle also arrived and Ghulam Mohammed was in it. At that time he was one of the best Shikaris (now he is dead), he said you have shot a Honz. I told him that I had never seen one before. He said that since I had only hunted in the Mountains for Poulang, Ibex and Urial, I had not seen this animal, because this animal is mostly found in the plains. We skinned it and I showed the skin to a number of people who confirmed that it was a Honz. I later sold the skin along with two Poulang skins in Karachi for 700 rupees. This was a lot of money for me then".

"Only once later about 15 to 20 years ago I saw a Honz again, in the plain at the foothils of the TULLO mountain. I saw it from 100 to 150 yds. He ran away either because he smelt us or saw us. No I did not take a shot because I knew that it was not a Poulang. I have never seen Honz since that time. The Tullo mountain is joined with Goran Gutt and the Haarian plain. The animals from one cross into the other very often. No I have never been on top of the Goran Gutt mountain, but people say that there are still a number of animals there including Poulang. Poulang will be there because there is food for it in abundance in that mountain".

"No, I have not seen these PHISHIE (cats) in these parts (On being shown photographs of Manul, Sand Cat, Jungle Cat) in these parts. Yes, I know that this is a PHUL GOSH (Caracal). Although it is not seen now, but this used to be fairly common. It hunted rabbits, birds, mice, young Gazzelles and sometimes killed domestic goats also. I think these things have dissappeared due to there being nothing for them to eat".

"Poulang was so common that there was one male in this very Mountain (Ormara) that you see in front of you, till as recently as 7,8 years ago. There used to be a lot of Ibex and rabbits in this mountain. The rabbits and the Ibex were hunted to extinction and therefore the Poulang died of hunger. He was discovered in a ravine one day and its body brought to town. Some say that it had fallen off a cliff while chasing Ibex, but I know it died of hunger".

"There are no Poulang anywhere except in Goran Gutt, sometimes there is report of a Poulang seen in Tullo, which has probably strayed from Goran Gutt or is looking for a mate. They call frequently when looking for a mate. Ibex and Urial are fast dissappearing. No there are no more GURKS (Wolves) and hardly any AAPTAR (Hyena). AASIK (Gazzeles) have become very rare, there were hundreds in the past. The Motors, Motor Cycles and the Spotlight have greatly contributed to their decimation. There are a few WAGHUS (Crocodiles), where there is water".

It is to be noted that Gazzelle here is called ‘Aasik’, whereas it was called ‘Saaid’ in the Hingol area.

Hasan Baluch of GORAT KI DAAT, North western side of the coastal range.

"I am a livestock owner and mostly graze my goats in the plains and sometimes in the mountains, depending on where there is grass. We have the Fox, the Jackall, some cats, 3 or 4 Aasik(Gazzelles), some rabbits, and Ibex and Urial in the mountains, in my area. I sometimes act as a guide for hunters also. There are a few, maybe 2 or 3 Poulangs in the mountain behind me (Eastern end of the Goran Gutt).

The most common Phishie (Cat) is this one (Jungle Cat). No I haven’t seen Phul Gosh (Caracal) for a long time, although these used to be fairly common.

This is a Honz (upon seeing the photographs of the Cheetah). I have seen a number of them in the past. No, they did no harm to my livestock normally. I only lost one goat to them, which had strayed too far from me. Yes I have lost a considerable number to Poulangs, especially in the mountains. The Polang usually hunts at night.

The Honz hunted Aasik, rabbits and sometimes caught an Urial in the lower hills. I have never seen an Ibex kill made by a Honz.

This is the track of a Poulang, and this is the track of a Honz (made clear identification of the rear and front tracks).

The Poulang holds his head low when walking but the Honz holds his head high when walking. The Honz usually trots, whereas the Poulang walks. The Honz is very fast, like lightning. I haven’t seen Honz in the last 20 years. I do not know where they have gone.

I can show you fresh tracks of Poulang whenever you want to, in the mountain. I saw a Poulang about a year ago. Compared to the past there is hardly any wildlife left".

A lot of people came to see us during our stay in Ormara. Most of them had the same story to tell. We interviewed about 20 people besides gathering information from anybody that we came across.

We went to MAL, which is about 40 Kms. from Ormara, to see the area for ourselves, and also to meet Faqir Khuda Bux, who had shot quite a few Cheetahs and Leopards. He is the same fellow who reportedly saw the Cheetah female with three cubs. The Mal area is a flat open plains area and used to be full of Gazzelles in the past. It also has a number of small streams and small low hillocks, interspersed with sand dunes. Faqir Khuda Bux is about 85 years of age now, but fit as a fiddle, with a very sharp mind and very shrewd. He is also a very respected elder of his area who still acts as a hunting guide to parties, that come to his area. His Tribal Chiefs are the Deedaks, and we had been referred to him by Nawab Deedak. Therefore, once he was sure of our credentials, although cautious in his statements; he turned out to be full of information and intresting stories.

The account he gave is as follows:

Interview with Faqir Khuda Bux.

 " I have seen and hunted a lot of animals in my days. There were a number of animals in the past, but now there is hardly anything left. Now mostly the animals will be found on the other side of the Tullo Mountain. There are a few Poulangs in Tullo also. This is the track of a Poulang (on being shown Photographs of Leopard tracks). This is also Poulang, no maybe this is Honz (on being shown photographs of Cheetah tracks). Yes I know Honz, I have seen plenty in my time. I have shot a number of Poulangs,(very reluctantly ) I only shot two Honz in my lifetime. The Honz was common in our area of Mal, Basol and the plains around Ormara. It was also common beyond our area towards Pasni. I was told by hunters from Turbat and Panjgur in those days, that it was common in their areas also. It was found where ever there were Aasik (Gazzelles)".

About how he shot the first of the the two Cheetahs:

" A Honz had been preying on domestic goats in our area about 30 years ago (Marked No. 8 on the map). Normally they do not molest domestic livestock, but since there had been no rains in our area therefore there was a shortage of the natural prey. The people of my village approached me to rid them of this menace. I was on the lookout for this Honz. It was the winter months when I came across fresh tracks and started following them. The Honz was travelling upwind from me. After about 2 Kms, I came upon it in a clump of Dwarf palms in a dried up river bed. I managed to get to within 25 yds of it before he saw me and was about to run when I fired with my shotgun loaded with S.G pellets. It dropped there. I left it there, and came back to the village. We went back and skinned it. It was a pregnant female with 4 unborn kittens, the size of small mice inside it".

About the second of the two:

"Some friends had come from Turbat and Pir Daulat Shah’s father, who was the Pir (Spiritual leader) then, had asked me to take them for shooting Aasik. We were hunting on a Jeep with the spotlight, in an area beyond Basol near MAKOLA (Marked No. 9 on the map). Iwas behind the driver, guiding him. We saw eyes brightly shining in the spotlight and drove towards them to see what it was. On approaching we saw that it was a large cat. The fellow hunters were afraid and said it was a Poulang, but I told them that it was Honz. It was only 30 to 35 yards away and clearly visible. I took the rifle from one of them and shot it through the heart. It was a male. We skinned it in the morning, and my friends took the skin with them to Turbat. It was very big".

About Poulangs and Honz that he has seen:

" I once saw a Honz female with three cubs that were running along with her. They were allmost half the size of their mother. I saw them under the Tullo Mountain about 18 to 20 years ago. I saw a number of other Honz in the plains. I have twice seen Poulang females with their young. Once there were two small cubs and the other time there was a lone cub".

Description:

" The Honz is much faster compared to the Poulang. It races after its prey and catches it and brings it to the ground, the Poulang hides, crouches and sneaks upto its prey and then springs on it. The colour of both is the same. It takes somebody with a lot of experience to differentiate between the two. The Poulang has a much bigger head than the Honz. It (Honz) is longer in body length than Poulang. The belly of the Honz is tucked up like a Greyhound, but the belly of the Poulang is thick. The Honz mostly hunts Aasik in the plains and sometimes catches a hare, but the Poulang kills domestic livestock, Ibex and Urial; mostly in the mountains".

About other wildlife:

" There has been a great decline in the numbers of all the species. The Honz has dissappeared, the Poulang is only 10% of what it was, there are hardly any Aasik left, the Ibex and Urial are very few. There are no GURK (Wolves), hardly any AAPTAAR (Hyena), and very few Rabbits. No I haven’t seen Phul Gosh recently (made positive identification from photographs, and described it in detail). They used to be quite common. No I have never seen these two (when shown photographs of Manul and Sand Cat). I have recently seen (three months ago), pug marks of Poulang near Gorat, which is joined with Goran Gutt".

It is obvious from the comments and observations of these three abovementioned Guides/Hunters that:

1, The Cheetah existed in all the plains in and around Ormara.

2, That it is extinct now since the last 15 to 20 years.

3, The numbers of Leopards has declined considerably.

4, The Leopard is certainly endangered.

5, There are a few Leopards remaining in and around the Goran Gutt Mountain.

6, The Caracal is on the verge of extinction in this area, although there is no obvious reason. Maybe this is also prey related.

7, The Sand Cat and the Manul probably never existed here.

8, The overall situation of wildlife is rapidly deteriorating.

9, Even now, there is no preservation or conservation plan or effort being made.

10, The Goran Gutt Mountain and adjoining areas have to be studied in detail, and some sort of plans made and implemented to save the wildlife there. Especially the few remaining Leopards.

Badal Bux Son of Kauda Haji.  Fisheries Officer, Ormara. District Gawadar. Age About 55 years.

He is a very knowledgeable gentleman, whose special intrest is in Birds and Marine Life. He is the local expert on Green Turtles. He probably knows more than a few so called experts put together. A very practical, self-educated fellow. He is well aware of the happenings and events that take place around him.

" In my younger days it was a common sight to see 4 or 5 or 6 Gazzelles together just outside Ormara. There were no Motorcycles or other vehicles. We did not know of the searchlight then. There were so many that one could have shot maybe 20 or 30 in a day. The severe drought in the last 4, 5 years has also contributed to the decline in their numbers. The Arabs come here for hunting Houbara with their Falcons, but they shoot everything that they see. They have a lot of weapons, equipment and transport. Nobody ever checks them, they have permission from the centre, Islamabad".

" There is an Island, called ESTOLA IN LINE, about 4 hrs. journey by launch from here.

Most of the local birds lay their eggs there. It is 6 Kms. by 3 Kms. in size. Now some people have made small huts there for the purposes of fishing. They have taken domestic cats with them and let them loose. They have caused great damage, especially to chicks in the breeding season".

" I have heard of the Honz, but never seen one. There was a Poulang right in this Ormara mountain, till about 8 or 9 years ago. At that time there were Ibex here also. We used to hear it calling at evening time right in the Bazaar. He lived here for 3, 4 years. One day someone discovered its decomposed body in a ravine. They say it had fallen off a cliff while chasing an Ibex. I do get reports about Poulang from the mountains, from Shepards who graze their goats there. I saw a Phul Gosh once at nighttime when we were hunting Gazzelles in Maneji about three years ago. No, I have not seen it after that. No I have not seen these other species".

During our stay in Ormara, half the day was spent in surveying different plains in the 40 to 50 Kms. circle. The whole area would have been ideal for the Cheetah, with plains streams, small hillocks, sand dunes and mud flats. There is hardly any cultivation and very little vegetative growth, probably due to no rainfall in the last four or five years.

What was surprising was that throughout our survey of this area, we did not see the tracks of any species of Cats, except the tracks of the lone Caracal (mentioned earlier) in the Maneji plain.

One party headed by Afzal Ranjha spent the entire day from sun up to sunset in the lower part of the Buzi top, without seeing any signs of Cats. They saw Ibex at three different places.

Captain Nadir and Mr. Farhan, took the flight from Ormara to Karachi on 4/11/ ’00. Captain Nadir was to take a flight to Quetta where he is an Instructor in the Infantry School, and Mr. Farhan was supposed to fly to Lahore. Captain Nadir had to report back on the 5^th. but Mr. Farhan seemed to be plain homesick (or maybe he had not spent so much time in the outdoors, and was simply tired of the whole thing).

We left Ormara on the morning of the 4^th. of November, at 7 A.M, for Pasni.

PHASE 8 4^th. 5^th. November PASNI

This is the 4^th. of November, we are on our way to PASNI (Marked No. 11 on themap), another Coastal (Fishing) town. The approximate distance is 160 Kms. The condition of the track hasn’t improved, in fact has got worse. We have travelled almost along the coast, with the Sea on our left (south). The Mekran Coastal range is still continuing along our right, although the height is somewhat considerably less. The terrain has not changed much, it has been the same after entering the plains of Maneji (Ormara). We have skirted the Mal plain (home of Faqir Khuda Bux), and have crossed the Basol Plain and the Basol River from it’s center. One of the Jeeps is giving engine trouble.

11 A.M, we are now about 55 Kms from Ormara. Here the terrain has changed to quite some extent. We are crossing a desert now. It starts from the foothills of the Coastal Range and goes right upto the Sea. It is about 12 Kms in breadth and about 25 Kms. in length. There is very little vegetation in it. Probably if it were to rain, it might be green all over. There are some species of grasses whose seeds lie dormant for long periods of time and they start growing with the first good rain.

Another surprise in this dry arid area was a Cobra, that we came across at about 10:30 in the morning. We were able to take photographs from real close.

We have just crossed some sort of settlement, which is about 4 Kms, from the track. This was apparent from the number of shade trees in an otherwise bare area, devoid of anything other than a solitary Acacia or Date tree. It seems that when there were rains, some of this area must have been cultivated.

We have neither seen, or observed any signs of wildlife.

1 P.M, we are at MAKOLA, which is about 80 Kms. from Ormara and the same distance from Pasni. This is a T junction and a track goes to TURBAT from here. We have sat down at a wayside Shack, and had our lunch here. We have talked to 5 or 6 people about wildlife, but none of them have come up with anything worth mentioning. Most of them talk of days gone by, especially Gazzelles and how these have been hunted to extinction. Two of them, talked about the presence of one or two Leopards in the mountains behind the Coastal range, four five years ago. They had not seen any of the Cats that we mentioned.

3 P.M, we are only about 60 Kms from Pasni. We are now crossing a different type of terrain. This has small hillocks, and solitary hills with small plains interspersed with numerous streams. There is more greenery here than in any area that we have travelled through. Maybe there was some isolated rain here or the soil has more water retention properties. We came across a party of five people who were coming on Camels from the mountainside (Marked No. 10). They were carrying PHISH (Dwarf Palm), which they had cut and collected in the past several days (Phish is used in making Mats, Ropes and Sandals).

We engaged them in conversation after providing them with some freshly brewed tea. They told us that they lived in the mountains and were now taking this Phish to the market in Pasni. Their entire life had been spent in the wild. They told us that all this area used to be full of Gazelles, and the Mountains had plenty of Ibex and Wild Sheep in them. There were Leopards in the Mountains for as long as there was game. Sometimes these leopards killed their domestic animals also, but mostly these are left unmolested. Other than excessive hunting, they have no explanation for the dissapearence of these animals. They were able to recognize the Leopard, the Caracal and the Jungle cat from the photographs we showed them. They have not seen the Leoprd and the Caracal in the last five years, but claim to see the Jungle cat even now. According to their leader, Rouzan, they see the Jungle cat along the banks of a certain stream which passes close to their place of residence. They have not seen the young of these Cats. They are not as many as they used to be.

5 P.M, we are at the turning to Pasni, which is about 20 Kms. from here. There is a big River on our right, heading South towards the Sea. There is water in some spots still. The banks on both sides have dense growth of small bushes and shrubs. There is some grass also. The riverbed has a lot of Dwarf Palm growing in it.

6 P.M, we have arrived in PASNI (Marked No. 11). We drove to the Wing H.Qs. of the Coast Guards, which is being commanded by a very fine officer, MAJOR KYANI . He has arranged for our stay at the Rest House. He is a very keen hunter and full of knowledge about his area of responsibility. We have asked him to arrange for us to see all the old Guides/Shikaris of this area. Pasni is also a Fishing Town, and has a population of about 15,000 people.

PHASE 9 4^th. 5^th. November PASNI

Major Kyani sent a number of people to see us at the Rest House. Most of these people had hunted in this area in the past. Now since there was hardly anything in this region, these same Shikaris had been going to other areas. According to these people, game had declined everywhere. In the past there used to be Gazelles in abundance around Pasni. The majority of these Shikaris were unaware of the existence of the Cheetah, even in the past. Three people professed to know about it. They also said that it inhabited the plains between Ormara and Pasni. The last anyone of them had heard about it was thirty years ago. The Cheetah is called HONZ, here also.

All these Shikaris know about the Leopard, and recognized it from Photographs. Most of them had come across it in the mountains before Pasni (Coastal Range). The Leopard is called POULANG, here also.Now there are none. The few times these people have been to the mountains, they have not come across any signs or evidence to suggest the possible existence of these species any longer.

None of them had seen the Caracal since the last ten years. Most of them knew about it and some of them had seen it also. As far as the other species were concerned, they were only aware of the Jungle Cat. Some of them had seen it and some of them had not. The Manul or the Sand Cat had not been seen or heard of, by any one of them.

Major Kyani : " I am a keen Hunter and have hunted all over Pakistan. This is my third year in the Coast Guards. I am on deputation from the Army. I have spent allmost two and a half years in the Coastal area, and have served at Hingol, Ormara and Gwadar. There isn’t much to do here, therefore I have had ample time and oppurtunity to hunt in my area of command. I have shot Ibex, Urial, Gazelles and Crocodiles during this period. Right now the best spot for Ibex and Urial is the Gomazi Pass (Buzi top). People tell me that all game was available right in the Mountains nearby, but now there is hardly anything. There are no Gazelles in this part of the Coast. The Gazelles that I have shot have all been in the Ormara area. No, I have never seen the Goittered Gazelle. I Patrol my area regularly, in the daytime and at nightime also".

TO BALOCHISTAN CHEETAH SURVEY REPORT PART 2

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