The floods wreaking havoc across Pakistan in 2025 have been catastrophically destructive—not only for human communities—but also for wildlife. As rivers overflow and wetlands submerge, species from jackals, wild boars and chinkara antelope, to jungle cats and the endangered Indus River dolphin are being displaced from their natural habitats.
Displacement, Conflict, and Habitat Loss
Whole ecosystems—scrub forests, rangelands, wetlands—have been submerged under floodwaters. Animals driven out of these zones often wander into villages in search of food and shelter. Jackals and wild boars, for example, have been reported scavenging near human settlements. These encounters increase risk of conflict: livestock predation leads to retaliatory killings, which further endangers vulnerable species.
Moreover, floodwaters don’t just displace animals—they also injure them. Ungulates like chinkara can be hurt by debris or by being swept along. Aquatic species are equally at risk: freshwater turtles, crocodiles, and especially the Indus River dolphin face peril when strong currents carry them into unnatural waterways or canals where survival is unlikely.
Ecological and Scientific Impacts
Beyond the obvious visible loss, there are longer-term biological consequences:Fragmentation of habitat — With wetlands and floodplains destroyed, animals lose breeding grounds and corridors essential for movement and gene flow.
Disease risk — Stagnant floodwaters promote breeding of mosquitoes and other disease vectors. Spillover from infected livestock to wild animals is a growing concern.
Stress on endangered species — Rare species with small populations (like hog deer, chinkara, Indus dolphin) have less capacity to recover from sudden displacement or population decline.
Possible Solutions & Call to Action- To reduce further damage, a combination of policy, science, and community action is needed:
- Establish and support wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers, especially in flood-prone districts.
- Create corridors and protect remaining wetlands and floodplains from human encroachment to allow animals safe escape and movement.
- Use AI, remote sensing, drones to monitor wildlife displacement and identify high-risk zones in advance.
- Promote community awareness to reduce retaliatory killings (for example, compensation schemes for livestock losses, safe shelters for animals).
- Monitor disease spread among domestic and wild animals; implement vaccination programs and vector control.
If Pakistan fails to integrate wildlife conservation into its disaster management, we risk losing not just individual animals—but entire species and the ecological balance they help maintain. Saving wildlife in these times is not just moral—it is scientifically and socially urgent.
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