Afghanistan Releases First Ever List of Protected Species

In an exciting effort to protect its natural heritage, the National Environment Protection Agency of Afghanistan has released the country’s first list of protected species, which includes 20 mammals, 7 birds, 4 plants, an amphibian and an insect.

The protections come at a crucial time for many of the species, since a previous Presidential Decree which outlawed hunting of endangered animals expired last March. Among the animals now protected from pelt-traders and poachers are snow leopards, wolves and brown bears.

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Although international law protects animals like the snow leopard from international hunting and trade, such practices were legal within Afghanistan for nationals until now. The news brings further cheer in an exciting year for Afghanistan’s environment. Just months ago, the country also established its first national park.

After more research has been conducted the current list may be expanded to include as many as 70 different species, the report said. That research wouldn’t have been possible without help from the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has been the only organization conducting ongoing scientific conservation studies in Afghanistan over the last 30 years. Furthermore, the list will be reevaluated on a 5-year basis to determine whether or not included species have made substantial recoveries.

It is crucial that these kinds of protections continue to be enforced on local levels worldwide, especially in war torn, tumultuous nations like Afghanistan, where wildlife and the environment can often become forgotten, collateral casualties. If you’d like to support groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society in their efforts, you can make a donation here.

Source: wcs.org

Image Credit: Itshears on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

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