Efforts are being made to set up Pakistan’s first-ever Asian leopard reserve at Margalla Hills National Park.
This is said by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam.
Speaking to the participants of a monsoon tree plantation event in Islamabad, the PM’s aide said the “Margalla Hills National Park is a protected area and has now become a permanent new habitat of the wild cats that previously would move to the park area and roam around its lower reaches during winter months and retire to a higher altitude during summer months”.
“Efforts are being made to hammer out a viable action plan for controlled, well-monitored, and safe mobility into the Leopard Reserve inside the park area through information guides and staff to stave off any human-wildlife encounter,” he explained.
Spanning over 17,386 hectares and ranked as the third-largest national park in the world, the scenic national park is situated in Islamabad Capital Territory that includes the Margalla Hills, which forms the foothills of the Himalayas along with Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake.
The park is home to rich biodiversity comprising around 600 plant species, 402 bird varieties, 38 mammals and 27 species of reptiles.