Wildlife of Afghanistan

Afghanistan has long been known for diverse wildlife. Many of the larger mammals in the country are categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as globally threatened. These include the snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, Siberian musk deer, markhor, urial, and the Asiatic black bear. Other species of interest are the ibex, the gray wolf, and the brown bear, striped hyena, and numerous bird of prey species.[1] Most of the Marco Polo sheep and ibex have been poached for food, whereas wolves, snow leopards and bears are being killed for damage prevention.[2]

The long-lasting conflict in the country badly affected both predator and prey species, so that the national population is considered to be small and severely threatened.[3][4]

Contemporary records do not exist for any of the smaller cat species known to have been present in the country, all of which were threatened already in the 1970s by indiscriminate hunting, prey depletion and habitat destruction.[5] Hunting wildlife is banned in all provinces of Afghanistan.[6][7]

Mammals

Further information: List of non-marine molluscs of Afghanistan

A leopard was recorded by a camera trap in Bamyan Province in 2011. [8] Between 2004 and 2007, a total of 85 leopard skins were seen being offered in markets of Kabul.[9] A snow leopard was sighted in Badakhshan in 2024.[10]

Extinct wildlife

The Asiatic cheetah is considered to be extirpated in Afghanistan since the 1950s.[5] Two cheetah skins were seen in markets in the country, one in 1971, and then in 2006. The latter was reportedly from Samangan Province.[11]

The Caspian tiger used to occur along the upper reaches of Hari River near Herat to the jungles in the lower reaches of the river until the early 1970s.[12]

Uncertain is the historical presence of the Asiatic lion in the country, as locality records are not known.[5] It is thought to have been present in southwestern and southern Afghanistan.[13] In March 2017, the Afghan Border Police seized six white lions at the Wesh–Chaman border crossing in Spin Boldak. The origin of the lions was unclear at first but later it was confirmed that they were from Africa. Four of the lions were later taken to Kabul Zoo while the other two were still somewhere in Kandahar Province.[14]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Hunting of Rare Animals, Birds Worries Farah Residents". TOLOnews. 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  2. ^ Butler, R. A. (2007). "Afghanistan's recovery effort drives poaching of rare wildlife". Mongabay.
  3. ^ "Some Faryab residents concerned over wildlife extinction". Pajhwok Afghan News. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  4. ^ "Afghanistan losing its wildlife to war, poaching and climate change". Ariana News. May 22, 2021. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  5. ^ a b c Habibi, K. (2003). Mammals of Afghanistan. Coimbatore, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation, USFWS.
  6. ^ "11 detained over illegal bird hunting in Ghazni". Pajhwok Afghan News. 20 December 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  7. ^ "6 persons illegally hunting birds arrested in Uruzgan". Pajhwok Afghan News. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  8. ^ Moheb, Z.; Bradfield, D. (2014). "Status of the common leopard in Afghanistan" (61). Cat News: 15–16. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Manati, A. R. (2009). "The trade in Leopard and Snow Leopard skins in Afghanistan". TRAFFIC Bulletin. 22 (2): 57–58.
  10. ^ "Snow leopard hunts 30 livestock in Badakhshan". Pajhwok Afghan News. 2024.
  11. ^ Manati, A.R.; Nogge, G. (2008). "Cheetahs in Afghanistan" (PDF). Cat News (49): 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  12. ^ Geptner, V. G., Sludskij, A. A. (1992) [1972]. "Tiger". Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats)]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 95–202.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Geptner, V. G., Sludskij, A. A. (1992) [1972]. "Lion". Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats)]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 83–95.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Kabul Zoo's Latest Residents Settle In To New Home". TOLOnews. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
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