Episode 152: Wild Cat Rewilding In Pakistan
August 8, 2025
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Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh, Camera-trapping in progress.
Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh is an early-career conservationist from Southern Pakistan, mainly focused on initiatives dedicated to lesser-known wildlife species found in the country.
He has a unique passion for the lesser-known wild cats of Pakistan. With the country’s tiger and lion populations gone, his focus shifted to the small, elusive species that still call Pakistan home. Zafeer is particularly dedicated to the conservation of the Indus Fishing Cat, a species once thought to be extinct in the wild.
Since a 2010 survey rediscovered them, Zafeer has been a primary investigator in a movement to understand and protect these rare cats. He works closely with the Sindh Wildlife Department and local communities to combat threats, including cruelty, illegal trade, and habitat loss. His work is crucial for establishing a threat reduction program and ensuring the survival of this remarkable species.
Show Notes
The Indus Fishing Cat Project: Conservation Efforts and Research in Pakistan
In this episode, Jack Humphrey commends Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh’s work with the Indus Fishing Cat in Pakistan, as documented in his article on rewilding.org. Zafeer discusses the Indus Fishing Cat project which started in 2021, aimed at the conservation and research of fishing cats in Pakistan, particularly in regions like Sindh, Punjab, and KPK provinces. The project has revealed that the species is more widespread than initially thought, despite previous global perceptions of near-extinction in the country. He shares his experiences working with organizations like WWF and IUCN, and the challenges of inadequate political will and mismanagement in protected areas. The episode concludes with a call for more global awareness and support for conservation efforts in Pakistan.
- Introduction and Background
- The Indus Fishing Cat Project
- Mapping and Discoveries
- Threats and Conservation Efforts
- Expanding Research and Local Involvement
- Challenges and Successes
- Collaborations and Support
- Conservation in Pakistan: Current State and Future Directions
Extra Credit
- Visit the Indus Fishing Cat project website
- Read Zafeer’s recent article on the Indus Fishing Cat Project
- Follow on Instagram and Facebook
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.