Recently Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment, impressed upon the officers of Wildlife department to undertake innovative conservation measures for protection of rare and endangered species, that have been recently spotted in the Pir Panjal region.

He issued these directions during his visit to the Pir Panjal region where he discussed various conservation measures with the officers of the wildlife department.

Wildlife Protection (Poonch-Rajouri) had last year captured Brandt’s Hedgehog from Nowshera and Shachera. They were released into the natural habitat after taking proper sampling and completing all other studies. They had also confirmed the presence of smooth coated Otter from Ghambir Mughlian, Rajouri in October 2024 and critically endangered Pangolin in January 2025 from Nowshera.

He said that these findings are a great news for the wildlife department and calls for their protection and conservation

“We need to take conservation steps in these areas where biodiversity supports Brandt’s Hedgehog, Pangolin, Otters and other rare and endangered species,” the minister said.

He called upon the officers to evaluate the activities that threaten the biodiversity and research possible solutions that weigh environmental, economic and social concerns. He said that environmental conservation has become a global priority due to the growing concerns of climate change and increasing pollution.