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Category: – Ibex

07.07.2022 update

（Movie) Himalayan Ibex Fighting For Dominance

Normally the peak of the Ibex rutting season is in December to January, and that is when you would expect to see them battling it out for dominance with the sounds of antlers clashing. However, this time, we found a group of them challenging each other, on a snowy spring April day, using the rocky outcrop as their stage.

Himalayn Ibex fighting for the dominance

From Dec 2021 to Feb 2022, there was some unfortunate illegal hunting that took place in Khunjerab National Park, resulting in the loss of a significant number of Ibex. Up to now, trophy hunting had been tightly controlled by national parks managed and the KVO community management system. But now the carefully managed Ibex population, which had been recovering, due to the heartless actions of people who are willing to cheat the system, has started to dwindle again. This in turn, affects the snow leopards, which forces them to start hunting among the villagers’ livestock for food. This causes the human-wildlife conflict issues to escalate in the harsh winter.

By the time we arrived, the case had already been resolved by the person in charge, but the lasting impact on the wildlife populations and people who live with them, will not be restored so quickly. Now we need to worry about the situation for next winter, as well.

 

Image & text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : Apr 2022, Khunjerab National Park

Category : = Video Clip Gilgit-Baltistan > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Ibex > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan > - Khunjerab National Park
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25.03.2021 update

（Video）An Ibex Appeared on the Karakoram Highway!

After mid-December, Himalayan Ibex sometimes descend to the villages near Khunjerab National Park and the mountains close by. As the mountains become covered with snow in the winter, the herds of females move down to the lower altitudes. This is when ibex will start their breeding season, attracting the males to the herds.

This male ibex with his huge horns just suddenly appeared on the side of Karakoram Highway. Perhaps he was in hot pursuit of a female, and just forgot about his own safety, but he passed immediately next to us.

 

Himalayan Ibex on the Karakoram Highway

 

 

Text :Mariko SAWADA     Video : Yoko KADONAGA

Observation : Dec 2020, on the Karakoram Highway, Khunjerab National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan

Category : = Video Clip Gilgit-Baltistan > - the Karakoram Highway > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Ibex > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan > - Khunjerab National Park
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26.10.2019 update

Sindh Ibex – Hingol National Park

Sindh Ibex is a mountain goat family that lives in the rugged dry mountainous areas of southern Pakistan. As the name suggests, Kirthar National Park in Sindh is famous for its natural habitat. However, Sindh Ibex also lives in Hingol National Park, Balochistan.

Surprisingly it was easy to meet Sindh Ibex coming to the water in the dry Hingol National Park. It was at the sacred Hinglaj Mata Hindu Temple (also called Nani Mandir) inside the national park. When I approached the shrine, Sindh Ibex was eating grass in quite a close distance.

 

A male Sindh Ibex. There are two types of Ibex in Pakistan. Himalayan Ibex in the Northern Mountains and Sindh Ibex in the mountains of Sindh and Balochistan. The male horn of Sindh Ibex astoundingly grows 1m long.

 

Gorgeous female Sindh Ibex and its baby.

 

Going forward, suddenly I saw a group of Ibex emerging from just above the cliff. Generally, Sindh Ibex seems to move in relatively large groups.

There were a lot of trophy-sized males (ones with large horns permitted to trophy hunting). In Pakistan, Ibex trophy hunting is taking place. However, it is only prohibited inside the national parks and hunting is operated under the rules and regulations by the community forest. For 2019, 50 Himalayan Ibex and 24 Sindh Ibex in Pakistan are allocated for trophy hunting slots.

Hunting?? In this era?? No doubt, I am against hunting, but Pakistan’s hunting situation is likewise identified with conservation and the endurance of the local villagers. Trophy hunting targets only large horned individuals who have no more ability to reproduce. Subsequently, these profits are given to villagers, so villagers crackdown on illegal hunting. Therefore, it is said that the Ibex population has increased in both the northern and southern regions since this system was established.

 

Energetic young males began battling with their horns.

 

It’s like a fighting practice. A male Ibex show dominance by fighting with a horn over females when they reach maturity.

 

Photo & Text  : Mariko SAWADA
Visit : Feb 2019, Hinglaj Mata/Nani Mandir, Hingol National Park,  Balochistan

Category : - Hingol National Park > - Wildlife of Balochistan > - Ibex > ◆ Balochistan
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04.03.2019 update

Himalayan Ibex – Khunjerab National Park

In late December, when whole of the northern region of Pakistan was enveloped with snow, we went to Khunjerab National Park – located in the border between Pakistan and China.
Khunjerab National Park is home to many unique species of wildlife including the snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan Ibex and many more. Himalayan Ibex lives in the Khunjerab National Park throughout the year. However, winter is the perfect time to witness them when they solely descend for the purposes of mating and grazing.

Ibex in northern Pakistan is a subspecies called Himalayan Ibex or Siberian Ibex, <Capra sibirica>. It seems that they are further classified by the habitat among them.

According to the National Park staff, Ibex in this area is said to gather in low places from mid-December to late January. The male was deliberately chasing the female!

Cute, young Ibex at an altitude of 4,500m, close to Khunjerab Top.

 

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : end of Dec 2018, Khunjerab National Park

Special Thanks : Mr. Sultan Gohar – Khunjerab National Park

Category : ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Ibex > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan > - Khunjerab National Park
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30.01.2019 update

Himalayan Ibex – Khyber village in Winter

It was early January and everything was covered white with a blanket of snow. Suddenly, I was told by the Khunjerab National Park staff that there is a gathering of Himalayan Ibex  in the Khyber village.

Anxiously, I went to Khyber village immediately and luckily discovered them on the contrary bank of the Khunjerab river, where local people perform farming and cultivation. There, I could see them much closer distance than Khunjerab National Park.

The Ibex in northern Pakistan is a subspecies called Himalayan Ibex or Siberian Ibex in English (Capra sibirica).

In this area, December-January is the breeding period of Ibex. A male Ibex after a female.

Ibex will have a baby, likely in the month of June.

Beautiful winter juniper valley view.

A White-winged redstart pair. In the upper Hunza, I often observe them in winter season.

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA
Observation: January 2019, Khyber Village – Gilgit-Baltistan
Thanks to Mr. Irfan – Khyber village &  Mr. Sultan Gohar – Khunjerab National Park

Category : ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Ibex > - Khyber > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan
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