MUZAFFARABAD: The Wildlife Department on Monday confirmed the sudden death of a young male markhor at the Patikka Wildlife Park near Muzaffarabad, with postmortem findings suggesting cardiac arrest as the most likely cause.
Officials said the animal was first spotted on October 28 when a shepherd from Basaha’n village of the Phaala Game Reserve, located along the Line of Control (LoC) in Haveli district,informed wildlife authoritiesthata “wild goat” had joined his herd of domestic goats.
A Wildlife Department team reached the site and identified the animal as a rare Pir Panjal markhor, estimated to be eight to nine months old.
Over the next two days, officials patrolled the area in an attempt to locate its mother; however, due to the seasonal migration of markhor during this period, she could not be traced.
Given the calf’s young age and vulnerability, it was shifted to the Patikka Wildlife Park, about 18 kilometres northeast of Muzaffarabad along the main Neelum Valley road, for care and rehabilitation.
On Sunday, the markhor died unexpectedly, surprising wildlife officials who said it had recently recovered from a minor health issue and had resumed normal feeding.
According to the postmortem report issued by the Civil Veterinary Hospital (CVH), Kahori, the animal had suffered from diarrhoea on December 19.
After treatment, it showed significant improvement and remained stable until it was found dead.
The postmortem examination conducted on Monday found the carcass intact, with no signs of external injury.
Internal examination revealed the liver, lungs and pelvic organs to be normal; however, hyperaemic blood spots were observed on the heart, leading veterinary experts to conclude that sudden cardiac arrest was the probable cause of death.
Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025
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