Home to the Marco Polo Sheep(Ovis ammon polii), the Tibetan Wild Ass(Equus hemionus), the Brown Bear(Ursus arctos) and Snow Leopard(Panthera Uncia), the Khunjerab Pass area was declared a National Park in 1975 to protect its splendid wildlife. However, di sputes over grazing rights soon arose between the locals and the authorities.

Over 10 years passed amid acrimony and violations. The situation deteriorated to an extent that the local people refused to let the officials enter certain areas of the park. It was even rumoured that they intended eliminating all the wildlife from the ar ea, thus removing the justification for it being declared a national park. In the process, the Marco Polo Sheep population dropped from 1,000 to only 50, mainly due to hunting by the army and senior civil servants.

Beginning in 1989, WWF stepped in to convince all sides of the necessity of putting aside their differences in the larger interest of conservation. In 1992, all the concerned groups agreed to a proposal formulated by WWF. An agreement was signed. And a D raft Management Plan was drawn up by WWF-Pakistan and presented to the relevant people.

For the local communities, WWF-Pakistan is their only link with the world outside their villages. The organization is directing its project work in these areas towards identifying and safeguarding the natural resources, and is suggesting ways in which com munities can develop their economies sustainably.

WWF-Pakistan has also published an Ecotourist's Guide to the Khunjerab National Park. Comprising interesting, in-depth information and colour pictures, the guide is not only useful for the budding ecotourist, it also focuses on the rich ecological resourc es of the region. The guide is available from the offices of WWF-Pakistan.

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