Game reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Name: Umme Habiba

Submitted to: Mam Sidra
Roll No: 18159
Department: Zoology
Semester: 5th SSDP(Evening)
Course title: Wildlife
Course code: Zoo-395

G . C. W. U. S

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Game reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Topic:

Game reserve:

Wildlife Sanctuary:

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Game reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Game reserve:
A game reserve (also known as a wildlife preserve or a game park) is a large area of land where
wild animals live safely or are hunted in a controlled way for sport. ... Many game reserves are
located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris.

Why is Game Reserve important?

Game reserves also serve as a source of food and shelter to the animals that live there. The
animals can serve as a source of food also to each other as they continue to feed in the food
chain. It also serves a shelter for the animals so they can live in their own natural habitat.

What animals live in reserves?

The Reserve is home to many wild animals, including hundreds of species of migratory birds,
bears, dozens of fish species, caribou, walrus, wolves and beluga whales.

List of Game reserve:

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Game reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Kilik/Mintaka Game reserve:

Kilik/Mintaka Game Reserve lies along the border with China, east of the KKH and the
Khunjerab National Park. It includes 65,000 hectares of important Marco Polo sheep habitat,
and is closed to foreigners (information by John Mock).

Habitat Marco Polo sheep:

Marco Polo sheep is a subspecies of argali sheep that belongs to the bovid family. It can be
found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and Tajikistan. Marco Polo sheep inhabits mountains,
steep valleys, gentle slopes and highland pastures on the altitude from 12.100 to 15.700 feet.
Marco Polo sheep is named after famous explorer from the 13th century who described meat
and horns of these sheep in his book. Number of Marco Polo sheep in the wild is decreasing
due to commercial hunt. Marco Polo sheep is listed as near threatened, which means that it
can become endangered in the near future.
Characteristics:

The sheep is particularly known for its long, spiraling horns which have been measured having
a span up to 140 cm (55 in). They have the longest horns of all sheep, with the longest
individual horn ever recorded measuring 1.9 m (6.2 ft) and weighing 60 lb. (27 kg). O. a.
polii's horns follow a coil pattern, with the tips pointed directly away horizontally from the
head; in spite of this, the tips are rarely broken. The horns have long been a popular attraction
for trophy hunters. They begin growing 15–20 days after the sheep are born, and their growth
in length is most pronounced during the first year. Thickness growth is most noticeable during
the first two years.
Ovis ammon sheep are colored a dark brown, with white underparts; the two different sections
are separated by a dark band of hair. There is a white patch on the rump as well, which is not
so clearly defined on most subspecies except O. a. polii. As winter approaches, the white hair
on males grows longer, until it becomes a prominent ruff, although on O. a. polii the ruff stands
out less than other subspecies. Females' coats are lighter than the males', and do not have such
a drastic seasonal change. The Marco Polo sheep's face is lighter colored than the body. Most
argali have a round tail approximately 6 to 10 centimetres (2.4 to 3.9 in) long, ending in a tuft
of hair; O. a. polii's tail is a little bit longer: around 12 to 16 centimetres (4.7 to 6.3 in).
Mature rams on average weigh 126 kg (278 lb). At the withers, rams grow to approximately
113 cm (44 in) in height and ewes to 100 cm (39 in). The sheep ruts in to

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December. Gestation lasts about 160 days, with single births being normal and twins
uncommon. A captive ewe once gave birth to five lambs at once, then triplets two years later.
Marco Polo sheep have an average life span of 13 years. The horns develop rings each year by
which the age of male animals may be determined. Since females do not have horns, it is harder
to determine their age. No data have been compiled showing the susceptibility of the sheep to
disease, although tests have been run on similar species of sheep and the data may be similar.
Since Marco Polo sheep are reluctant to approach people, it is not likely that they can catch
diseases common to domestic flocks, although some domestic sheep are allowed to run wild
over the mountains, and it is unknown if they come into contact with Marco Polo sheep.
However, the shepherds in the area do not generally have access to veterinary care for their
animals, and it is possible that these could transmit diseases to the wild sheep.
Habitat:

Most Marco Polo sheep live in the Pamir Mountains region adjacent to the borders
of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China. Their elevation ranges from
3,700 to 4,800 m (12,100 to 15,700 ft) above sea level. The subspecies lives mainly in the
northwestern part of the Hunza district of Pakistan along the Chinese border, inhabiting the
Kilik Mintaka border and the northwestern area of Khunjerab National Park. Marco Polo sheep
also inhabit the Wakhan Corridor, along the Afghanistan border. They share much of their
habitat with animals such as the Siberian ibex. During summer, Marco Polo sheep prefer to be
near riparian areas and vegetation, while during winter they prefer to be in gentler and south-
facing mountain slopes.

Behavior:
Marco Polo sheep are similar in behavior to other members of the genus Ovis. They generally
live-in small flocks of a few dozen. During the summer, they break into smaller flocks of the
same sex. During and after the rut, however, they group together to form larger groups for
protection, and to conserve energy. When the rut begins, rams begin to fight for dominance
among their flocks; dominant rams then choose their ewes without competition from the losers.
Only mature rams (those over 6 years old) fight for dominance. The young will sometimes
threaten older males, but never charge them. The mature rams fight by standing next to each
other and spinning around, then one steps back and charges. O. a. polii males have been noted
to rise up on their hind legs when they clash with opponents, which is not common in lowland
sheep and similar to the fighting habits of goats. The males commonly emit grunts while
fighting and often chip their horns or break their noses. After dominance has been established,
the rams begin to select their ewes. Although Marco Polo sheep rams are known to herd
females, during the rut males pair off with females to reproduce.

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Wild life Sanctuary:

A wildlife sanctuary is an area where animal habitats and their surroundings are protected from
any sort of disturbance. The capturing, killing and poaching of animals is strictly prohibited in
these regions. They aim at providing a comfortable living to the animals.

Baltistan Wildlife Sanctuary:

In 1975, Baltistan Wildlife Sanctuary became one of the few protected mountainous zones
in Pakistan that are home to several endangered species. Covering over an area of 415 square
kilometres, this wildlife park is situated in the northern division of Baltistan. Snow Leopard,
Brown Bear, Lynx, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan fox, Markhor, Blue sheep, and Asiatic ibex are
some animals that roam free in the park.

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Game reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Brown Bear:

The brown bear has a slight hump above its shoulder, round ears, a long snout and big paws
with long, curved claws that it uses for digging. The brown bear is not always brown. It has fur
that ranges from a cream or silver color to an almost black color. The brown bear is also known
as the grizzly bear.

Size:

Height: 70 – 150 cm (Adult, At Shoulder)

Mass: 80 – 600 kg (Adult)

Diet:

Brown bears are omnivorous, eating a mixed diet of plants, berries, fish, and small mammals. Unlike
black bears, brown bears have long, strong claws that they use to dig for food, pick fruits, and catch
prey.

Reproduction:

Bears usually reach sexual maturity between the ages of 3 and 5. A female bear gives birth to
one to four cubs every 2 to 4 years. Male and female bears live in their own territories and do
not really come into contact with each other outside of the mating season. The mating season
begins in May and lasts until July and during this time the males may have fierce battles over
the same female.

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The bear has delayed implantation, which means that even though the bear mates in June–July,
the fertilized egg will only attach to the uterus in late autumn and the bear fetus will begin to
develop. The bear's gestation period is 194–278 days. The cubs are born into the winter den in
January–February. There are usually one or two cubs, sometimes three, but litters with four
cubs are also not unheard of. A bear cub feeds on its mother's fatty milk during the first few
months of its life. The cubs will usually follow their mother until the May–June of the following
year, but in some cases a mother bear might be accompanied by cubs from two separate litters.

Hibernation:
Hibernation is the bear's way of surviving the winter using as little energy as possible. Finnish
brown bears hibernate, but bears living in milder climates may stay active throughout the
winter. The bear's hibernation lasts from October to April. The bear's hibernation is not as deep
as that of hedgehogs or bats: a hibernating bear will change its position and react to its
environment. The female also gives birth during hibernation. Still, hibernation is a time of
reduced energy consumption for the bear. The bear doesn't always build an actual winter den
but it might simply lie down under a thick spruce tree. When it does dig a den, it will usually
be inside an anthill, at the base of a spruce tree or under a bank some kind. Some bears hibernate
in rock crevices or dig their dens under large boulders.

The bear puts on mass in the autumn:

Because the bear will not eat or drink during its hibernation, it spends the autumn storing fat in
its body to carry it through the winter. In late autumn the bear focuses on food that is high in
carbohydrates such as berries. The bear's appetite is tremendously increased but a short while
before hibernation it will stop eating and empty its bowels completely of food mass. Fat
contains a lot of energy but it also serves as a type of water reserve. As the fat burns in the
bear's cells, over a gram of water is produced for each gram of burned fat. The bear spends its
hibernation in a winter den that can be something as modest as a hole dug into the side of an
anthill.

The bear is a master of controlling its vital functions:

As the bear hibernates its body temperature may drop to around 33 degrees Celsius, which is a
relatively small drop when compared to other hibernating animals that may see their body
temperatures drop to near zero. Researchers have observed that the body temperature of a
pregnant female bear stays at around 37 even during hibernation up until the birth that takes

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place in the heart of winter. The female only goes into power-saving mode once the cubs have
been born. A bear's regular heart rate is around 40 beats per minute, but in hibernation this
drops to as low as 10 beats per minute. The fat storage of a well-prepared bear may last for up
to six months, but of course the bear will lose dozens of kilograms of fat during that time. A
nursing mother bear must also give away proteins in the form of milk. Studies have shown that
bears also lose some of the proteins in their muscles and connective tissue during hibernation.
This process creates toxic urea, but this substance doesn't accumulate in the bear's body as its
circulation system will recycle the urea into the bear's bowels where microbes turn it into amino
acids, the building blocks of new proteins. It is not known where the microbes living in the
empty bowels find the energy for this synthesis. This recycling allows the bear to retain its
muscle mass and strength during the long hibernation period. The bear's bones are also safe
from becoming more brittle during hibernation. Why this is the case is not completely
understood, but the matter is very interesting as the bear's ability to maintain its bones might
also benefit research into human osteoporosis. Blood analyses have demonstrated that the
connective tissue inside a hibernating bear's body breaks down and renews itself at a balanced
rate. The mineral part of the bone also sees very little decay. The slight loss of body and bone
mass isn't a concern for the hibernating bear as it will have also lost weight when it wakes up
in the spring, which makes moving around a lot easier.

NALTAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY:

Established in 1975 over an area of 272 square kilometre in Naltar Valley and mostly known
for its majestic lakes, Naltar Wildlife Sanctuary boasts a unique mix of wildlife. According
to the latest census, the species found in this region include a small population of Astor
Markhor, Alpine ibex, snow leopard, brown bear, grey wolf, red fox, beech marten, and
leopard cat.

Gray wolf:

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Gray wolves, or timber wolves, are canines with long bushy tails that are often black-tipped.
Their coat color is typically a mix of gray and brown with buffy facial markings and undersides,
but the color can vary from solid white to brown or black. Gray wolves look somewhat like a
large German shepherd. Wolves vary in size depending on where they live. Wolves in the north
are usually larger than those in the south. The average size of a wolf's body is three to five feet
long and their tails are usually one to two feet long. Females typically weigh 60 to 100 pounds,
and males weigh 70 to 145 pounds.

Range:
The historic range of the gray wolf covered over two-thirds of the United States. Today gray
wolves have populations in Alaska, northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, western Montana,
northern Idaho, northeast Oregon, and the Yellowstone area of Wyoming. Mexican wolves, a
subspecies of the gray wolf, were reintroduced to protected parkland in eastern Arizona and
southwest New Mexico. Wolves can thrive in a diversity of habitats from the tundra to
woodlands, forests, grasslands and deserts.

Diet:
Wolves are carnivores—they prefer to eat large hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, bison,
and moose. They also hunt smaller mammals such as beavers, rodents, and hares. Adults can
eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal.

Behavior:
Wolves communicate through body language, scent marking, barking, growling, and howling.
Much of their communication is about reinforcing the social hierarchy of the pack. When a
wolf wants to show that it is submissive to another wolf, it will crouch, whimper, tuck in its
tail, lick the other wolf's mouth, or roll over on its back. When a wolf wants to challenge another
wolf, it will growl or lay its ears back on its head. A playful wolf dances and bows. Barking is
used as a warning, and howling is for long-distance communication to pull a pack back together
and to keep strangers away.

BREEDING:
Normally, only the top-ranking “alpha” male and female in each pack breed once each year.
Litters are born from early April into May, and they generally include four to six pups. They
are reared in dens by the entire wolf pack. Breeding occurs between February and April, and a
litter of usually five or six pups is born in the spring after a gestation period of about two

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months. The young are usually born in a den consisting of a natural hole or a burrow, often in
a hillside. A rock crevice, hollow log, overturned stump, or abandoned beaver lodge may be
used as a den, and even a depression beneath the lower branches of a conifer will
sometimes suffice. All members of the pack care solicitously for the young. After being
weaned from their mother’s milk at six to nine weeks, they are fed a diet of regurgitated meat.
Throughout spring and summer the pups are the centre of attention as well as the geographic
focus of the pack’s activities. After a few weeks the pups are usually moved from the den to an
aboveground “rendezvous site,” where they play and sleep while adults hunt. The pups grow
rapidly and are moved farther and more often as summer comes to an end. In autumn the pack
starts to travel again within its territory, and the pups must keep up. Most pups are
almost adult size by October or November.

Life Cycle:
Wolves can live 13 ears and can reproduce past 10 years of age.

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