Never Seen Before: Rare Footage of Himalayan Lynx Hunting Captured in Chitral

In a very unusual occurrence, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Wildlife Department team and WWF-Pakistan’s filmmaker Nyal Mueenuddin captured a rare cat, Himalayan lynx, on the steep rocky cliffs of Chitral Valley. The crew were on a mission to film the Kashmir markhor but were in for a big surprise. 

While filming a group of markhors in the Tooshi Community Game Reserve, outside Chitral town, the crew spotted a Himalayan lynx preparing to hunt a yearling markhor, which was grazing by the riverside along with its mother.







It is for the first time that a nocturnal hunter and highly elusive animal has been filmed in the area. The lynx, locally considered a rare species, is known to be present in Chitral, as well as other northern areas of Pakistan including Gilgit-Baltistan although its exact distribution and range are not known.

The Himalayan lynx is one of the last remaining apex predators in the area. It plays an essential role in maintaining the balance and health of the overall ecosystem. The protection and conservation of markhors in Chitral has likely led to an increase in the lynx population. In recent years, the population of the Kashmir markhor, once nearly extinct in the area, has grown substantially, thanks to community-based conservation actions taken by WWF-Pakistan, the KP Wildlife Department and other partners.

Watch the complete video here: https://youtu.be/zHBz_F4NHHY 

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Photographed by: Nyal Mueenuddin