Forums.NitroExpress.com

A two year ceasefire on the Line of Control is not only benefitting the populace of the region but also revitalising rare species of animals in the area.
A rare majestic goat called the Markhor which either fell victim to or was scared by regular artillery and machinegun fire and had not been seen for years,has made a comeback after a ceasefire agreed between the two countries in Nov.2003.
"It is absolutely fantastic that they are there",said Vivek Memon,executive director of the Wildlife Trust of India an environmental group that took part in a recent survey.
The Markhor(Capra falconeri)which is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union,is the worlds largest species of goat and recognised by its trademark spiralling horns that can grow more than a meter long.
Wildlife authorities in Kashmir said the goat had not been sighted since the mid 1990s because of rising tension in Kashmir.But a three month survey earlier this year by wildlife experts sighted 115 Markhors in 35 herds,they said.
The sightings have raised hopes that the Markhor is no longer as close to extinction as earlier thought.Experts said there was an estimated 250-300 Markhors in held Kashmir in 1977.
The goat which lives in semi-arid cliffside mountain areas of India,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan and Turmenistan,has been hunted fot its horns,hoofs and meat.
In the 1970s it was estimated threrwere between 20,000 to 25,000 Markhors worldwide.By 1997 the WWF put their no.as just a few thousand.
The fencing on the border to control infiltration of militants has created permanent barriers for the wild animals also.