The Wildlife Department Gilgit Baltistan is working since 1970. Gilgit-Baltistan without any doubt can be termed as living museum for wildlife.
Since then the wildlife division has been struggling with its limited financial resources for conservation of precious and unique wildlife in the region. Varieties of wild animals & birds like Marcopolo Sheep, Ibex, Markhore, Urial, Blue Sheep, Lynx, Snow leopard, brown and Black bears, Wolf, Fox, Marmote, Chakor, Rame Chakor. One of the rare species Tibetan wild ass is also found in Shimshall val
ley of upper Hunza. All these resources are being managed for their survival and multiplication through establishment of National Parks, Game Sanctuaries and Game Reserves community conserved areas. The Gilgit-Baltistan Government has declared nine community controlled hunting areas in the past jointly managed by the communities, International NGOs and the Gilgit-Baltistan Government. Owing to the vast potential of the area, the wildlife Division of Forest Department Gilgit-Baltistan had initiated trophy hunting programme in collaboration with the International NGOs, like AKRSP, IUCN, WWF & concerned communities with the objective to provide incentives in shape of income from suitable management introducing participatory approach on experimental basis in the year 1993. Lessons learned from the participatory approach, it can safely be concluded that the population of wild animals is on the increase despite various natural calamities peculiar to the fragile mountain eco-system of Gilgit-Baltistan. From comparison of population dynamics of the past, we are confident that the trophy-hunting programme is paying its worth in term of success in conservation of biodiversity
