1. Introduction the Punjab Urial Ovis Vignei Punjabiensis Is Endemic to Northern Punjab, Pakistan, and Is Currently Classified As Endangered by the IUCN
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Survey of the status, distribution and home range requirements of the Punjab Urial 1. Introduction The Punjab urial Ovis vignei punjabiensis is endemic to northern Punjab, Pakistan, and is currently classified as endangered by the IUCN. The distribution of the animal in Pakistan is between the Indus and Jhelum rivers at elevations of 250 -1,500 m primarily in the Kala Chitta and Salt Ranges. The dominant habitat type in the area is dry sub-tropical, semi-evergreen scrub forest. Punjab urial were once present over all northern Punjab Mountains, but in recent decades underwent a severe decline in both range and numbers, disappearing from much of their historic range. The main reasons for the rapid decline in numbers appear to be poaching, the capture of newborn lambs that are kept as pets, fragmentation of home ranges, competition with domestic livestock and habitat disturbance and destruction associated with increasing agriculture, forestry and mining. In addition, infusion of exotic but compatible mouflon sheep genes may have occurred. The recent construction of the M-2 Motorway between Islamabad and Lahore created a substantial barrier to seasonal migrations and to dispersal. The main factors affecting the continued persistence of the wild population are inadequate protection against poaching and habitat loss. Initial conservation measures should include, increasing the law enforcement capabilities, to incorporate community participation in the management of urial and reduce the number of competing livestock. The present study is also as an attempt to collect basic ecological information on the urial in the Salt Range area. The overall aim of the project is to accurately determine the status and distribution of the Punjab urial throughout its current home range in northern Punjab and to determine what its ideal habitat requirements are. 2. Study Areas 2.1 The Salt Range The name Salt Range, owing to the second largest mineral salt (Sodium chloride) deposits in the world, is given to the hill system situated in the Northern Punjab, in Jhelum, Chakwal, Khushab and Mianwali Districts. First time the name Salt Range was used in 1808 by Elphinston, a British Envoy, when he observed the extraction of salt in the area. The salt deposits of the area were deposited as a result of the evaporation of Tethys Sea and formation of Indus plains from collision of Indian plate with Asian plate resulting from continental drift (King and Vincent, 1993). The Salt Range is an east-west trending thrust front about 175 km long. It forms an impressive scarp, from 250 - 1520 m in altitude. Sakesar top is the highest point (1524 m). It extends between 32o 41 - 32o 56 N. and 71o 50 to 74o E. This range first enters the Chakwal district at its extreme south west corner where the spurs of mount Sakesar descend into the village Lawa. In this part of its course the range keeps mostly to the district of Khushab, but near Khewra, it passes altogether into the Jhelum district where it bifurcates into two distinct ridges, one of them running towards south-east while the other into the east, about 8 km apart from each other. Each of them is made of a number of small roughly parallel ridges. This parallelism is modified by a marked tendency for linked and looped formations. On the south, the range presents a monotonous line of parched and barren slopes, rarely more World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan Page 1 of 74 Survey of the status, distribution and home range requirements of the Punjab Urial than 250 m high from the mean sea level, descending abruptly into the valley of the Jhelum River. On the northern side they gradually sink down into the Chakwal plateau (Lindsay, 1923). Sedimentary rocks and the fossils preserved therein give a complete record of the geological and biological history of the earth. The rock layers in the area have been tilted vertically, even inverted in some places, so that the older, fossil strewn layers now lie on the surface (Shaw, 1989). The over use of vegetation has accelerated rates of erosion resulting in bare sheet rocks devoid of any soil layers. The rocks are composed of limestone and sandstone or both. At some places infertile red marl is exposed due to similar reasons and the steep geological tilt resulting in frequent slips. The plant cover is poor on sandstone and red marl. The density of vegetation on southern aspects is poor while the northern slopes are comparatively bettered covered with vegetation. The habitat type prevailing in the area is dry sub-tropical semi-evergreen scrub forest (Roberts, 1991). The dominant plant species are Acacia modesta, Olea ferrugenia, Salvadora alights, Zizyphus nummularia, Dodonea viscosa, Prosopis glandulosa, Justiciar adhatoda, Calotropis procera. Shrubs are sparse with scattered Zizyphus nummularia and, May tenus Rawlins except in some ravines and on the high ridges where Daytona viscosa is prominent and grasses like Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Eleusine compressa, Heteropogon contortus, Aristida adscensionis, Cynodon dactylon and Saccharum species. Salt Range had a varied and abundant wildlife species in the historic times. Punjab urial, Chinkara, important carnivores, Chukar, See-see, grey and black partridges were in plenty due to nature of vegetation and topography. Which has been over hunted in the past and led to marked reduction in the numbers and restriction of the range of most species. Chinkara is nearly extinct from the Salt Range. Punjab urial population is also declining day by day. To protect urial population, one National Park. Five wildlife sanctuaries and two game reserves have been established in its distribution range. But this protective system of management has not been able to rise in its population or even stop decline in population. Chhumbi Surla and Jalalpur wildlife sanctuaries and Kalabagh Game reserve (KGR) have comparatively better urial population than other areas. So these sites were selected for detailed study. 2.2. Rakh Topi Game Reserve and Boraka Wildlife Sanctuary Rakh Topi Game Reserve and Boraka Wildlife sanctuary, these two protected areas supports a thin population of urial. Rakh Topi Game Reserve and a part of Boraka Wildlife sanctuary lies in district Kohat. It is comprised upon Tehsil Lachi that is sandwiched between Tehsil Kohat in north and district Karak and Mianwali on south. Towards the east it is separated from district Attock by the mighty Indus, while district Hungu is located in the west. 2.3 Kalabagh Game Reserve Kalabagh game reserve (KGR) established in the early 1930’s, is located about 25 km south east of the town of kalabagh, in Jaba masan valley, Mianwali district, punjab province in a small massif that forms the most westerly extension of the salt mountain range. For many generations, this land has been the private property of the Nawab of Kalabagh. World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan Page 2 of 74 Survey of the status, distribution and home range requirements of the Punjab Urial 2.4 Lehri Nature Park Lehri Nature Park comprises an area of about 1325 ha of a bit steep and rugged mountains ranging from 250 to 1025 m in altitude above mean sea level and forms the most eastern extension of the Salt Range. The park centered on Lat. 33° 09 .012N. Lon. 73° 35. 931 E. near about 10 Km from Dina town, in the Jhelum District of Punjab. Grand Trunk (GT) Road from Lahore to Islamabad serves as a boundary of the park in the south. The Northern edge is at Mangla Reservoir, while East and West boundaries are close to the Mangla cantonment and Lehri village respectively. No maps of the 1: 50, 000 topo-cadastradal series were available for the area; the alternatives being A4–sized sketch maps are available from the Wildlife Department. Park Management The project area is the property of the Punjab Forest Department and under the settlement rights has been declared as Reserved Forests (Lehri and Judi). The Punjab Forest and Wildlife Departments manage the park. The protection of wildlife in this area is the responsibility of the Assistant Game Warden (AGW) Salt Range, who resides at Jhelum. The AGW has one game inspector posted at Sohawa to aid him. At present there is one wildlife watcher performing his duties wholly or partially with in the boundaries of the park and of the neighboring area. Major management interventions that had been wholly or partially implemented at the time that this survey was undertaken included: Development of urial enclosures; Anti poaching measures; Curtailment of livestock grazing; Development of artificial water reservoir; Development of children park; and The plantation of various species of tree, including many exotics. 2.5 Chhumbi Surla Wildlife Sanctuary Chhumbi Surla Wildlife sanctuary, notified in 1978 has an area 55,943 hectares and is located at Lat. 320 50 N., Lon. 720 46 E, in the Chakwal District of Punjab. A significant part of the sanctuary is underlain by dolomite and may, technically, be regarded as Karst topography. The smaller streams are essentially ephemeral; water available at several springs emerging from the dolomite aquifer (IUCN, 1997). Its core area, about 6075 hectares is state forest, located almost in the middle of the sanctuary area, mainly on the hill slopes ranging in elevation from 460 m to 1050 m above mean sea level. It is named after village Chhumbi and Surla Reserved Forests forming main bulk of the sanctuary. The area surrounding the core zone is mainly community forests, agriculture and grazing land. The Ram Halawan and Dhram Terath are two small forest patches also included in the sanctuary. Core area has good vegetation cover with open canopy suitable, not only for urial but also for a number of other vertebrate species.