Humans pushed wildlife away from Margalla Hills

Islamabad: A physical barrier created due to human interference has pushed the wildlife population to the east and west of the Margalla Hills where it is facing existential threat due to loss of habitats.

According to the Bioresource Research Centre, the Margalla Hills is home to gray gorals, Rhesus macaque, barking deer, wild boars, mongoose, porcupines, flying squirrels, bats, Indian hare, scaly anteaters, pangolin and leopards.

Dr. Maqsood Anwar, a wildlife professor at a local university, said that grazing for domestic animals and chopping trees for fuel could have also resulted in the decline of grey goral in the park.  Roughly 40 km long, the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) was declared a national park on 27 April, 1980, under Section 21(1) of the Islamabad Wildlife (protection, conservation and management) Ordinance, 1979 and also affirmed as a wildlife sanctuary.

A report compiled by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as the number of visitors increased, so did the number of vehicles in the Margalla Hills.

"The noise of the vehicles disturbs the birds, and they are seen less and less often now. Loud music in cars and in restaurants also contributes to the noise pollution that is bothering birds of the Hills," it said.