ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan battles one of the deadliest floods in its recent history, the impact on wildlife is emerging as a parallel catastrophe. Entire habitats have been submerged, forcing animals into villages, straining ecosystems, and threatening species already close to extinction.
“Entire habitats have been submerged, encompassing everything from scrub forests and rangelands to critical wetlands that act as wildlife sanctuaries,” Karachi-based ecologist Rafiul Haq told Anadolu Agency. Displaced jackals, wild boars, chinkara antelope and even jungle cats are now wandering into human settlements in search of food and shelter. These encounters often spark conflict — with livestock under attack and villagers retaliating by killing animals.
Uzma Khan, a conservation specialist with WWF-Pakistan, said fragile, fragmented habitats leave wildlife more exposed to such conflicts. “Numerous snakes have entered communities in recent days,” she said. “Many were rescued, but some, including pythons, were killed.”
From mountains to rivers, biodiversity at risk
Floods are displacing species across Pakistan’s varied landscapes. In Punjab, hog deer and chinkara swept from across the Indian border are being rescued, though many arrive injured, according to senior wildlife conservator Kamran Bukhari.
In the north, torrential rains and glacial lake outburst floods have forced Himalayan ibex from their habitats, while bird, rodent and reptile populations are also in decline, said Altaf Ali Shah of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s wildlife department.
Aquatic life faces equal peril. The endangered Indus River dolphin, unique to Pakistan, is often swept into irrigation canals by strong currents. “Rescue teams regularly find dolphins stranded far from their river habitats — one of Pakistan’s recurring ecological tragedies,” Haq explained.
The Indus dolphin, locally known as “bhulan,” is found almost exclusively in Pakistan. Dwelling mainly in a 1,300-kilometre (807-mile) stretch of the Indus River, the endangered mammal is functionally blind, relying on echolocation to navigate the muddy waters.
A related species lives in the Ganges and Brahmaputra systems of India, Bangladesh and Nepal, but the Indus dolphin is genetically distinct and considered one of the world’s most endangered freshwater cetaceans.
Haq urged more coordinated rescue and conservation efforts.
Floods as both threat and renewal
Despite the devastation, ecologists stress that floods also play a vital ecological role. By replenishing rangelands and wetlands, they spark new vegetation growth, attract migratory birds, and temporarily boost herbivore numbers.
“Floodwaters breathe life back into arid zones,” Haq said. WWF’s Uzma Khan agreed, noting that natural floods rehabilitate habitats — but warned that unchecked human encroachment on floodplains and forests undermines these natural defences.
The experts agree on the urgent need for wildlife corridors, restored habitats, and sustainable floodplain management. “Without that, Pakistan risks losing crucial biodiversity and the ecological safety nets that support its people,” Haq said.
“The most important step needed is protecting floodplains from human encroachment,” she said. “As well as linking rivers and associated lakes, which not only helps manage floods but also creates reservoirs that sustain communities as well as wildlife like waterfowl and freshwater turtles.”
She warned that unchecked leasing of land around wetlands and forests undermines natural defences.
“Protecting forests is very crucial as they shield land from the devastating impacts of cloudbursts and flash floods, which are increasing in both frequency and intensity because of climate change,” she said.
Haq said the long-term solution lies in creating wildlife corridors, restoring habitats and adopting sustainable floodplain management.
“Without that, Pakistan risks losing crucial biodiversity and the ecological safety nets that support its natural heritage and, ultimately, its people,” he said.
