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A talk with Dr. Ali Jawaid on Dementia & early life Trauma development

Saadeqa Khan
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A talk with Dr. Ali Jawaid on Dementia & early life Trauma development

Dr. Ali Jawaid, a Swiss-Pakistani Neuro-scientist, is one of the many overseas Pakistanis taking the world by storm. His recent research work explains how early life trauma affects development not only in the immediately affected individuals but can also be passed on through generations. Dr. Ali Jawaid, as a child, survived peripheral autoimmune nephropathy by being treated with an experimental drug, which is now the standard of treatment for that disease. Being fascinated by this, he began exploring how the brain and nerves work at a very early age.

Below are some excerpts of his recent conversation with our EIC, Saadeqa khan.

Tell us about your childhood?

I was born the youngest in a family where education and respect were highly emphasized. My father had 3 master degrees, and all my siblings took prestigious career paths; from arts to literature to surgery to engineering to business management. As my father worked in civil service, he had a lot of transfers and relocations both within and outside Pakistan. Growing up like that makes you quite adaptable but also you end up losing friends a bit too frequently. Like every other kid, I played cricket- in all forms, on the street, on the ground, on the computer, and even the ‘copy cricket’ version, which all the 90s kids would know about. I also wrote for a children’s magazine and was this cheerful over-confident kid who loved talking more with adults than other children his age. 

What motivated you to pursue an offbeat career as a Neuroscientist?

I survived a neurological illness as a child and in fact, was given an experimental treatment at that time. Somehow, this was very fascinating for me and I used to ask a lot of questions to doctors and nurses about the brain and nerves. This was practically my introduction to Neuroscience at the age of 10. The pursuit of Neuroscience leads me to choose medical studies. After my graduation from Aga Khan University, I went for clinical and research work in Neurology to the US. Seeing a lack of effective treatments for most neuropsychiatric disorders, even in a country like the US, was the biggest motivation for me to get more and more involved in mechanistic neuroscience research, so that the risk and inheritance of these diseases could be studied. I think, in the end, it was the combination of curiosity and compassion that lead me to this career. 

Tell us about your recent research work?

I am currently involved in a huge multi-centric study where we check how losing parents early in life affect the brain and body of children, which of such negative effects persist till adulthood, and what kind of damage can they do to the germ cells so that the effects will be even transmitted to the next generation. At the same time, we are trying to identify if any factors, for example, foster care or certain supplements like cod liver oil can lessen the harmful effects of trauma in children or their transmission. Besides this project, I am involved in studies on patients with dementia where we are trying to target some toxic proteins which cause the neurons to die with dementia illnesses. I am also leading research efforts to improve the cognitive deficits that people with dementia encounter. 

Dr. Ali Jawaid
Dr. Ali Jawaid, as a child, survived peripheral autoimmune nephropathy by being treated with an experimental drug, which is now the standard of treatment for that disease

What is epigenetic Trauma? 

Epigenetic trauma is a concept that the effects of traumatic experiences leave biological traces on germ cells and thus have effects that can be inherited. Notable examples are how children and even grandchildren of holocaust survivors have increased depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. We are studying it now at the molecular level to find out how are the effects of trauma communicated to the germ-line. 

How does Trauma affect a child’s development? 

Unfortunately, the effects of early life trauma can be quite negative. Our work, as well as, of others has shown that trauma in early life can lead to neurological, psychological, and metabolic disturbances that persist into adulthood. However, strong support, and enriching environment, and certain supplements could mitigate the long-term negative sequelae of trauma. It is important that such interventions are started early.   

Tell me a situation where are you being a Neuroscientist has clearly benefited your daily life?

I think in many ways. The biggest application of neuroscience for me has been in teaching, where I focus on my neuroscience knowledge to enhance learning in students. This means adding a context to teaching, with conceptual reinforcement and relying more on critical thinking than just memory. 

Mental health is still considered a taboo subject in Pakistan. What do you think is the best way to make aware of our layman about mental health importance?

You are absolutely right. We live in a culture where dementia is considered a normal part of aging, where depression is hidden, where anxiety is considered a weakness of character. In colleges and universities, we see students using pills and recreational drugs because they do not have proper mental health support. I strongly believe that mental health should be taught as an integral subject, and parents and teachers should be given guidance about healthy interaction styles and how to help young people cope with struggles.

The other important change is that prominent people in the media need to increase mental health awareness. Famous actor, Usman Mukhtar, who also happens to be a good friend of mine, is doing a remarkable service in this regard. I strongly believe that others should follow. For example, Momina Mustehsan, who herself is a biomedical engineer could be an ideal person to take the lead in talking about mental health and neuroscience in the country. 

What can the general public do to decrease the risk of dementia?

It is a very important question. There are different types of dementia. Some types of dementia are due to high cholesterol levels and damage to blood vessels. For this kind of dementia, a healthy lifestyle and diet-control have a very important role. Some other types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are related to brain injury, stressful lifestyle. However, some factors are common to all dementia types. Half an hour exercise per day, increasing anti-oxidant foods such as blueberries, dark chocolate, beetroots, beans, supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids, staying stress-free, keeping your brain busy during old age, all can have a protective effect.  A very good board game to keep the brain busy in old age is chess, snakes, and ladders. 

What do you believe is your best asset?

I think my biggest asset is that I was raised with strong values about honesty and integrity. That has served me the most in my professional ethics. I would not call the other things as assets but rather skills I acquired or learned, for example, analytical skills and strong communication. I am, by no means, a gifted savant. I have had struggles during my career as well but I just kept on being perseverant. 

Epigenetics is an emerging field of science, but people here in Pakistan are not aware of it in depth. Do you have some plans for making aware of our layman about the importance of epigenetics?

That is a very interesting question. One hand, indeed, there is a lack of knowledge about scientific disciplines, such as epigenetics. However, on the other, epigenetics is, in fact, just the interaction of the environment with the genes and people in Pakistan believe a lot in the importance of environmental influences, such as diet on health. So, we need to speak the language, which people can understand. Start with the prevalent beliefs and then add simple scientific reasoning. I think main-stream media can play a huge role in this. It is very unfortunate that there is not even a single program promoting science in Pakistan, not even a YouTube channel. 

What are your plans for the youth who are willing to pursue a career as a scientist?

I have always tried to focus on the rich scientific potential of Pakistan and want the youth to explore this ‘gold-mine of research’. We have a population, which is genetically very similar (due to cousin marriages) and yet have ethnic diversities, we have Macedonian-origin people living in Kalash where average life span is 15 years longer than in Pakistan or Macedonia, we have herbs with potential therapeutic properties in dementia, we have Hafiz-e-Quran children who have memory sharp enough to remember hundreds of thousands of words.

These are just one of the many research avenues that can be explored in Pakistan. I wish that one day our universities start conducting research centralized on these topics and provide students the opportunities to present this work around the globe. Last year July 26th was one the most satisfying days of my life, when Science, one of the world’s best scientific journals, published a feature about my work with the SOS children’s village in Pakistan. 

Do you envision serving Pakistan in a larger capacity?

I definitely would be willing to help in research capacity-building and curricular development in the field of science and technology. The future of this world is in science, and we need to start investing in it now. Irrespective of any political affiliation, if any government asks me to work in an advisory capacity, I will be more than willing.  

Also read: Promoting psychological well-being, an enlightening note from Zuafishan Qureshi

Katherine Johnson dies, a mathematician who broke barriers at NASA

Saadeqa Khan
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Katherine Johnson dies, a mathematician who broke barriers at NASA

Wielding little more than a pencil, a slide rule and one of the finest mathematical minds in the U.S, Katherine Johnson, died at 101 on Monday, 24th February, in Newport News, Va. She calculated the accurate trajectories that would let Apollo 11 land on the moon in 1969 and, after Neil Armstrong’s historic moonwalk, let it returns to Earth.

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson was an African-American mathematician who was well known for her services she offered for multiple U.S space missions, including Apollo 11, pronounced as “human-computer.” She worked at NASA over three decades, and her pioneering calculations charts many flight paths and helped astronauts to go to the moon when America and Russia were indulged in a space war and NASA was facing considerable hurdles in defeating Russia. Katherine’s calculations not only established NASA’s credibility, but she equally fought for the rights of black women in early 1950, when they were neglected and discouraged in America in every sphere of life.

As a child, Katherine’s sharpness in mathematics was evident as she was great in calculations and playing with numbers. She earned a degree in mathematics with high honors and started working for NACA, NASA’s predecessor, where she worked with other black women in the West Computers division. She contributed to her male counterparts in analyzing flight test data and later provided necessary derivation for different space missions trajectories.

Katherine’s aptitude and inclination toward numbers naturally led her to embark on a career in mathematical research. These days, this field was dominated by white American men. Still, with her hard work, dedication, and devotion to her work, she proved that nothing is impossible for women if they are provided with opportunities.

In 1952, she got informed about some vacancies offered by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA’s predecessor. Though, it was announced that NACA IS accepting applications for the posts of mathematicians, irrespective of race, caste, color, and gender, for their Guidance and Navigation Department. As per the announcement, Katherine and the number of other black women incouraged and applied. Katherine was among many others who have had received a formal job offer in 1953. Later found that the working environment at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, West Virginia, was purely biased, and they were not even allowed to drink, eat or share the bathroom with her white male counterparts.

In such a worst working environment, Katherine accepted all challenges and worked on the same post from 1953 to 1958. From West Area Computers section, later, she transferred to the Guidance and Control Division, which was mostly plagued by racist laws. The federal workplace segregation laws were never allowed African-American women to work, eat, and use restrooms that were different from their peers. The stations where they worked were labeled ‘Colored Computers.’ Katherine not only fought for her own due rights but equally motivated other black women who were working in a different department of Langley Aeronautical Laboratory.
She was keen on plotting the navigator charts for astronauts in situations where electric systems failed. Later, when NASA adopted the new technology, astronaut John Glenn, asked Katherine to calculate his mission’s orbit around the Earth. He wholeheartedly accepted he could never make an orbit until Johnson verified his trajectory calculations.

With the advent of digital computers, she kick-started her work directly with machines and rightly estimated the trajectory for the Apollo 11 flight that successfully landed on the moon’s surface.

In 1970, she also contributed to the Apollo 13 moon mission. At the moment when the mission was officially aborted, she made calculations that primarily focused on a backup plan, her provided navigation charts ensured the crew to safely back to the Earth.
The last project she worked for was the Space Shuttle Program, the Earth Resources Satellite, and a mission on Mars. Later she got retired from Nasa in 1986. Her life and efforts were picturized in the movie “Hidden Figures”, released in January 2017 and got three Oscar awards nominations.

Busting Myths about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Muhammad Abdullah Khan
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Busting Myths about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Mental disorders are one of the most misunderstood and ill-perceived human diseases. They are considered taboo, and anyone who reaches out to psychologists or psychiatrists is stereotyped as “crazy, stupid, foolish or cracked.” The most misconstrue among mental disorders is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD. While our general understanding of OCD symptoms comes from TV characters such as Sheldon Cooper in Big Bang Theory or Monica Geller from 90s sitcom Friends, these stereotypical depictions of people having OCD symptoms may not be entirely genuine. We need to bust different myths about OCD and sift facts from fiction and should try to answer some basic questions such as: are OCD depression related? Are OCD thoughts irrational?, are OCD brains different than usual? Or can OCD be treated or cured?

What is OCD?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common mental disease has affecting 1-2% of the population around the globe. According to WHO, it is one of the “ten most disabling illnesses.”
A person with OCD has a vicious cycle of recurring thoughts, which become an obsession, and s a consequence, he is forced reacting in a different than normal behavioral patterns to resolve those obsessions, which become compulsions. The obsessions are so intense that people with OCD face difficulty in social relationships due to their continuous constraints.

MYTH: We’re all ‘a little OCD’

There is no “little bit” in OCD: This is a complex disorder commonly starts developing in childhood or early teenage. People with OCD have problems to carry out daily chores and face difficulties in social relationships due to this disorder.

MYTH: It’s about being obsessively tidy or clean

This myth is just another stereotypical perception due to the wrong portrayal in media and films. In reality, OCD is more complicated than just being a germophobe. People with OCD have extreme recurring thoughts, which are usually negative. These continuous intrusive thoughts, along with prolonged feelings of fear, doubt, and paranoia, compel the people with this mental disorder to carry out repetitive actions to satisfy their psychological urges. Therefore, such people experience a wide range of obsessions such as the need for order, perfection, symmetry or arrangement, fear of dirt, germs, doubts about their safety or suspicions about others around them, blasphemous thoughts, or fear of violent thinking or aggressive actions. These thoughts or obsessions (as they are called in psychology) are challenging to control. They cannot be rationalized, and people suffering from this disease find it challenging to overcome them.

This myth is just another stereotypical perception due to the wrong portrayal in media and films

MYTH: People with OCD wash their hands non-stop

Not always right, although people with OCD have repetitive, obsessive thoughts which compel them to often repeat their actions, which can be irritating to others. Yet washing hands, again and again, is not always that compulsion. While this obsession with germophobia is common in many people, yet there are numerous other compulsions as well. Constantly checking door locks, excessive cleaning, or order are other common obsessions. These obsessions force the people to miss out on the fun activities in social gatherings and make such people irritating and obnoxious.

MYTH: They need to be more relaxed

It’s easier said than done. People having OCD are unable to cope up with the anxiety of not fulfilling their obsessions. The obsessive thoughts are compelling, and they preoccupy the mind of patients. They cannot free their minds from these obsessions, which ultimately force them to satisfy their urges. These obsessive thoughts cannot be “just turned off” by being relaxed. People living with this condition have described as being “imprisoned” by their own minds due to these obsessions.

Myth: People with OCD are just uptight, weird, neurotic, or quirky

Yes, it is true that generally, people suffering from OCD have a quirky and intolerable attitude. But it is far from being only quirky. Cycles of repeated obsessive thoughts lead to compulsive behavior. The compulsive behavior is just a short term relief from the obsessive thoughts which stop momentarily only to come back again. These obsessions do not limit the person to just being quirky or obnoxious. One patient with OCD described “life as a living hell.”

“When the alarm went off in the morning, I would start to cry because I knew my day would be filled with horrible thoughts, panic attacks, and hours and hours of rituals. ‘The simple thought of having to leave the house would send me into a panic attack as I was so worried one of my loved ones would die because of my actions.’

Myth: People with OCD don’t realize they’re acting irrationally

Patients of OCD are not always unaware of their illness and resulting in irrational thoughts and behavior. Generally, they are aware that their thoughts and actions are absurd and ridiculous. This is the biggest frustration for these people as they are conscious of their irrational thoughts but cannot do anything to stop their compulsive behavior.

Myth: OCD is funny

This is often taken lightly, and people make fun of such patients. But this is not just a joke for the laughter; it is a severe illness that hinders the social engagement of OCD patients and causes frustration in around 1-2% of people suffering from this disease. They have to cope with constant anxiety, fear, and depression. They are unable to take part in social activities, often lose jobs, or face problems in social relationships. If left untreated, it can be dangerous as more than 60% of people with OCD have had suicidal thoughts at one point, and around 25% reported having attempted suicides.

Obsessive compulsive disorder hinders the social engagement of patients and causes frustration
OCD hinders the social engagement of patients and causes frustration

Myth: Stress causes OCD

While stress stimulates obsessive thoughts and exacerbates compulsive thoughts, it is not the only root cause of OCD. This illness is complex and has other underlying objects, as well.

Myth: OCD is rooted in your childhood

Psychologists say that while genetics plays a vital role in the development of OCD in people whose closed ones have had this problem, the development of this disease doesn’t need to be dependent on childhood experiences.

Myth: OCD is rare in kids

It can strike a child as young as four years old. There is no age limit for this disease. At least one in every two hundred kinds and teenagers has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is the same percentage as that of diabetes in kids. While diabetes is not considered rare in kids, OCD is thought of as a rare disease in kids, which is not valid.

Myth: OCD is a woman’s disease

While it is generally considered to be more common in women, it can strike anyone regardless of gender, age, race, or economic background. The rate of OCD is the same for men, women, and kids of every age, race, and gender.

Myth: Tests can confirm OCD

While it cannot be detected by blood or other tests such as those to detect cancer, diabetes, etc. it can be diagnosed with few different methods. Your doctor can carry out physical tests and examinations to rule out other diseases. Three symptoms are generally looked for diagnosing OCD: whether you have obsessions, whether you show compulsive behavior, and if you do have these two conditions whether these obsessions and compulsions are getting in the way of your healthy lifestyle or not.

MYTH: OCD isn’t treatable

This is a complex and severe disorder, if left untreated, it can be dangerous for the person with OCD and people around them. Several treatments and therapies are available, which can treat obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior through a combination of behavioral therapy and medications.
It cannot be cured entirely, but it could control with the appropriate expert’s treatment.

Also read: Psychotic disorders in youth

Identification of soybean dust as an epidemic asthma agent in Kemari

Saadeqa Khan
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Identification of soybean dust as an epidemic asthma agent in Kemari

The situation is getting worst in Karachi’s Kemari where a mysterious gas leakage caused panic and source of this toxic gas leak is still unclear on Tuesday as officials from the Sindh health department confirmed the death toll had risen to at least 14, two days after residents from adjoining areas rushed to hospitals complaining of breathing difficulties.

According to officials the origin of the outbreak in Kemari is known, however prominent scientist and President of Prime Ministers’ Science and Tech task force, Dr. Atta ur Rehman, spoke out about the situation and stated that these deaths are caused by Soya Bean aerosol particle or Soya bean dust that released in air during docking and offloading from the ancho-style ships at the Karachi port.

Although, a team of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence (NBCD) under Pakistan Navy was engaged in chemical analysis of the unidentified gas and samples are sent to SUPARCO and Karachi University and the situation will hopefully get clear within one or two days.

Kemari is a seaside municipality in Karachi
Kemari is a seaside municipality in Karachi

According to Dr. Atta ur Rehman, such Soya bean Allergy cases had been recorded in 1987, and it mostly attacked asthma patients who are elderly, less immune, smokers, and weak.

From 1981 to 1987, 26 outbreaks of asthma have occurred in the city of Barcelona, Spain, affecting a total of 687 subjects and causing 1155 emergency room admissions. Assays of urban aerosols collected with high-volume samplers between October 1986 and May 1989 have indicated that soybean dust originating from harbor activities (and not traffic or industrial pollution) is the causal agent for these epidemics. Soybean particulates in the filters have been

Characterized by the composition of the alcohol fraction, namely, campesterol, stigmasterol, /3-sitosterol, n-triacontanol-l-01, and n-dotriacontane-l-01, constituting a series of aerosol components correlated with the epidemiologic data. This result has also been confirmed by the immunochemical assay of specific soybean allergens. The concentration of these sterols in the air corresponds to a 24 hour average level of soybean dust in the order of 25 pglm’ on epidemic days. These results suggest the advisability of monitoring soybean dust in air particulates of populated areas surrounding soybean storage or processing plants. The techniques presented here afford a simple way for the recognition of soybean dust in aerosols containing high concentrations of organic pollutants of traffic or industrial origin.

Dr. Atta ur Rehman spoke out about the situation and stated that these deaths are caused by Soya Bean aerosol particle
Dr. Atta ur Rehman spoke out about the situation and stated that these deaths are caused by Soya Bean aerosol particle

The asthma outbreaks identified in Barcelona were characterized for their clinical severity.a-so the increased concentration of nitrogen oxide was initially suspected as the asthma inducer, but later epidemiologic data demonstrated that the outbreak was a point-source epidemic. Further epidemiologic studies led to the conclusion that these outbreaks of asthma were caused by the inhalation of soybean dust released during the unloading of soybeans at the city harbor.

The results of many studies conducted in Barcelona during 1987 to 1989 indicated above strongly suggest that the occurrence of asthma outbreaks in Barcelona was related to rises in the airborne concentration of compounds that must reflect the presence of the allergens in the aerosols of the city.

A similar situation has been observed in Karachi’s Kemari area where earlier officials suspected that air contains a higher amount of Nitrogen oxide or hydrogen Sulphide, but these claims were later rejected.

Despite improved medical care, asthma mortality has not been significantly reduced worldwide.  Whether or not this is due to changes in the background frequency of the diseases or to the appearance of new etiologic factors in the community is not clear. The prevalence of asthma in developed countries has been attributed to environmental factors associated with the urban way of life: traffic fumes, industrial and domestic pollution, tobacco smoke, natural allergens, etc. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, so the need of the hour is a healthy lifestyle and a clean and safe working environment.

Also Read: CAPTURING NATURE THROUGH A LENS

CAPTURING NATURE THROUGH A LENS

Aniqa Mazhar
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CAPTURING NATURE THROUGH A LENS

I know our everyday camera roll is littered with memes, food pictures, selfies, and the sort. Take a break from all these typical photo collections and enjoy as we take you down a roller coaster of breath-taking shots of wildlife and nature by various amazing photographers!

1. Kathrin Swoboda

A neurologist and geneticist in Massachusetts by profession, this lady has the command over her camera. Capturing wildlife is her hobby and she’s amazing at it. One particular picture of hers caught special attention. This perfectly timed photo shows a singing Blackbird creating vortex rings with his breath.

The immaculate way with which the photographer captures the minute details of wildlife and nature does indeed uplift her position to the top of the list!

The immaculate way with which she captures the minute details of wildlife does indeed uplift her position to the top of the list!

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She has pages both on Instagram and Facebook and one cannot just get enough of her beautiful shots.

2.Christian Spencer

“In beauty I walk.”

This man has taken wildlife photography to the next level. He is a professional photographer and filmmaker based in Australia and his pictures of hummingbirds have won awards.

A Rainbow of Light Diffracts Through Hummingbird Wings in Photographs by Christian Spencer.

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The celestial snaps are indeed very magical and divine. If you search for Christian’s work online, you will find a well-fitted title and description of each of his collections. This one is called ‘The Sun King.’

3.NIGEL KITELEY

“I am an amateur photographer based in Oxfordshire. From a very early age I was interested in nature, living in a small village and being surrounded by sprawling fields and woodlands I spent most of my childhood watching wildlife, and in particular birds.

After leaving school I became interested in photography and I coupled this with another passion of mine, motorsport. As the years went by I was drawn back to nature and began photographing birds. In more recent years I’ve become interested in macro photography with butterflies being my preferred subjects.

I love the fact that I can get up close and personal with these amazing creatures and wandering around meadows during the Summer months takes me right back to my childhood. My passion for photographing butterflies has taken me to some beautiful places including the French Alps and Spain, and I hope to visit more European countries in pursuit of new species to photograph in the future.”

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for more of Nigel’s work, follow him on Instagram. He has captured one of Nature’s most delicate and colorful beauties with such love and care that to not include him in this list would have been cruel.

4. Chantele Melzer

Chantelle Melzer is a photographic artist who specializes in emotive images of the natural world. Her work covers a broad spectrum as she combines her background as an art enthusiast and her degree in Natural Sciences with her passion for photography, creating vivid images full of life and color, as well as monochromatic fine-art portraits of wildlife.

Born and raised in the heart of Zululand, Chantelle has demonstrated a life-long passion for the wilderness. It is this passion that constantly drives her to seek out ways to contribute towards the preservation of wildlife and their natural habitats.

Chantelle hopes that the stories shared through her images will capture the hearts and minds of people all over the world, to create awareness and to inspire them to contribute towards those organizations that are genuinely fighting hard to protect rhinos, as well as many other species who call the wilderness their home.

“There is something incredibly special about African wildlife, especially elephants – they give us a greater sense of being, silent voices that touch our souls and speak into our hearts! I cannot imagine a world without them! I DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT THEM!” – Chantelle Melzer.

Capturing birds and butterflies is amazing, but going into the heart of the jungle to capture the wild and its inhabitants is another level altogether. Here are a few of Chantele’s highly awesome works:

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Chantele makes sure to capture the animals amidst all their glory and grandeur. Looking at her pictures makes one feel as though there is nothing beyond the beauty and splendor engraved in the expressions of these wild beasts. Chantele has expertise in other kinds of photography too and this is just a tiny glimpse of her portfolio. To view her dazzling pieces, follow her on social media and visit her blog.

5. Matthew Smith

This guy will make sure you never forget the world in the waters. He is a wildlife oceanographer and photographer. His work seems to be of another world and sends shivers down one’s spine, especially his work on jellyfish. His series ‘half over, half under’ looks at aquatic life.

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The list for amazing wildlife photographers is an endless one, and it is to be assumed that absorbing the profound beauty of the above captures is enough for one article. But just to keep you searching for more of nature every day, who likes polar bears? Capturing these white beauties amidst their icy homeland has been successfully done by talented Daisy Gillardini. Search her on social media to find out how she loves roaming the unique and rarely visited wildlife communities of this planet.

What about Mark Hancox and his expertise with the lens in the world of wildlife? Or Monique Elizabeth Adams, who, despite being an amateur artist, captures amazingly unique pictures of animals just like her name. and who could forget Ruan Minnaar, with his amazing skills to capture the colorful beauty of birds in such a captivating way?

Make it a hobby to search for a wildlife page a day while surfing the internet. It will bring you closer to Nature and teach you how to appreciate it more.

Also Read: These flowers in your yard can save bumblebees

How Climate Change is Endangering the Iconic Wildlife Species

Sabeeka Zafar
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How Climate Change is Endangering the Iconic Wildlife Species

Is Climate emergency -2019 word of the year- necessary for the survival of humans only or is it a dire need of the whole ecosystem? It is an important question you must ask yourself right now because climate change sees no boundaries, no flags. This catastrophic situation has not only taken a toll on humans but is also an alarming threat to our wildlife. Most of our species have become vulnerable, and some are at the risk of extinction- this is what we humans are risking at the expense of climate change. Polar bears are starving-, carb shells are dissolving and coral reefs are dying – all this is the aftermath of the changing climate. It’s not only the Australian wildfire that has dealt them with cruelty, but climate change also has its direct fare share in making them go extinct.

Before diving into how climate change is affecting wildlife, we should understand the phenomenon that led our planet to face this emergency.

Climate change poses a serious threat to our wildlife
Climate change poses a serious threat to our wildlife

Global Warming

One of the significant reasons for climate change is global warming. According to the special report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change on Global Warming highlights climate impacts at the current ~1°C global warming as well as the risks of reaching a 1.5°C and the irreversible losses that would take place at 2°C or more warming.

Human activities are greatly responsible for the global warming our planet is facing today. The burning of fossil fuels releases a great amount of carbon dioxide that collects in the atmosphere, absorbs all the sunlight that increase Earth’s temperature. Deforestation is another powerful reason for the increased temperature of the planet. Forests are the homes to many animal species and are carbon sinks, they absorb the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere and are an essential means of keeping global warming to 1.5°C.

Sea Ice is melting

Melting ice sheets is one of the significant reasons for climate change. Over the last decade, we have seen an increase by 5°C in the average air temperature, which has declined the Arctic sea ice by more than 30 percent, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.  The Antarctic lost about 286 billion tons of ice per year, while Antarctica lost about 127 billion tons of ice per year during 1993-2016.

 Both the North and south pole play an important role in regulating the planet’s climate by reflecting the sun’s energy and effectively counter the effects of global warming. It also affects the polar species life cycle to a great extent.

Sea levels are Rising

Shrinking ice sheets, melting glaciers and expansion of water that heats up, all these factors add to the increase in sea level. Recent data shows that the sea level has risen to 8 inches in the last decade and continues to accelerate every year by .13 inches (3.2mm). Rising sea levels harm wildlife as it causes wetland flooding, erosion, and loss of habitat for fish, birds, invertebrates and other coastal wildlife.

Oceans are acidifying

Oceans are ‘carbon reservoir’ for all the carbon dioxide humans pour into the atmosphere using fossil fuels, preventing it from accumulating in the upper atmosphere. But this increased carbon dioxide concentration is changing the PH of oceans which has reportedly been decreased by 0.1 units since 1750 and is projected to drop another 0.5 units by 2100, making the ocean more acidic for the marine life to exist, which is a real loss to the wildlife.

How does climate change affect wildlife?

Climate change has bestowed wildlife with a ‘struggle for existence’. Animals are enforced to change their feeding and breeding pattern to adapt to the changes. They also experience habitat loss and at times they have to migrate to the places with the more favorable climate conditions to survive. Survival is now left in the fate of only those species who can mobilize and fight for the battle of the fittest, otherwise, they may go extinct.

Here are just a few examples of how climate change is endangering the magnificent species of our ecosystem.

African Cheetah

Spotted cat, the world’s fastest animal is losing its ability to reproduce. As a result of warmer temperature, male cheetahs have developed abnormal coil in their sperms that affects their breeding. Moreover, the big cat’s prey populations i-e Thomson’s gazelles are declining rapidly due to climate change. As a result, it preys on other herbivores that don’t have high protein content like gazelles; hence impeding the cheetah’s population.

African cheetahs are on the brink of extinction
African cheetahs are on the brink of extinction

Panda Bear

Giant panda bears, considered as the national treasure in China, lives in the mountains of southwest China and rely on the bamboos of the temperate forest for its food and shelter. But climate change is causing a major drought of bamboos, leaving starving pandas struggling for their food and habitat.

A panda bear walking across a grass covered field Description automatically generated
Panda’s staple diet may be lost to climate change

Green turtle

Green turtles are reptile with extreme sensitivity for temperature change. The sand where the eggs are laid decides the sex of baby turtle. Cooler temperature produces males and warmer temperatures produce females.

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Climate change affects the turtle sex ratio.

An increase in temperature due to global warming results in more females as compared to males and hence it disturbs the natural gender ratio. This disturbance is of extreme concern as without males, there will be no reproduction and we can lose our majestic species due to this climate change.

Coral Reef

Coral reefs have a narrow temperature range and become stressed in warm water resulting in coral bleaching. During coral bleaching, corals lose their color and their built-in food source and eventually die. The world has seen three major coral bleaching events in 1998, 2010 and 2014-2017. In the latest event, Scientists recorded the killing of two-thirds of the corals in the northern part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Increased temperature is a great threat to this precious species-as at the warming of 2°C nearly all coral reefs will be lost.

A changing climate for coral reefs. Credit: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Polar Bear

Polar bear, the high energy beast, is the most evident or absolute image of how climate change is affecting wildlife. Polar bears rely on sea ice for their hunting, mating and traveling. Melting ice off the Arctic due to climate change is posing a great threat to polar bears, heavily because of less ice for bears to hunt seals on; making them a vulnerable species.

A polar bear standing next to a body of water Description automatically generated
Polar bears across the Arctic face shorter sea ice season. Credit: NASA

Asian Elephant

The biggest concern for these gentle giants in this climate emergency is their dire need to drink a lot of freshwater every day which influences their reproduction and migration. But this increased temperature makes it difficult for an elephant to get the required amount of water, threatening its survival.

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Climate change makes it difficult for the giant gentles to get the required amount of water.

Adélie penguin

The littlest and the most widespread species of penguins rely on krill as their main food source.  Melting of Arctic ice sheets resulted in a decline in the krill population that lives under the Ice sheet where they breed and feed. Hence, these excellent predators must migrate in search of food which negatively affects their breeding pattern. Due to climate change, Adélie populations have fallen by more than 65% in the past 25 years.

Climate change may shrink the Adelie penguin range by the end of the century.

Time to Act!

Climate change is a real thing and is filtering out the unfavorable species making it a less diverse ecosystem with the survival of the fittest only. Our natural world is on the verge of collapse, our iconic species are at the risk of extinction, our biodiversity is at stake and there is a dire to need to tell the world that we are not doing it right. It’s the stage of now or never for us.

Ash Sanders, a member of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, said in a statement:

“If we want to stop climate catastrophe, we have to tell the truth, we have ten years to transform our consumer behavior, our economy, and our culture to preserve life on earth”

We have not lost the battle yet, there is still hope, we can save our valuable species significantly through our conscious act and a better lifestyle. For this, we must transit to a fossil-fuel-free world. We need to stop cutting down forests, safeguard and protect the connectivity of habitats and enhance the potential of the forests left, making it a corridor for wildlife. Evaluate the vulnerability of species and plan adaptive management practices accordingly.

For the catastrophic situation humanity is facing, we need everyone to come on the board politicians, workers, students, teachers — scientists and take responsibility. Collaboration is the key to success, we cannot deal with the situation single-handedly but through collective effort, if we want an effective outcome and make the world a better place to live for all the species. But we have to make a conscious effort before it’s too late!

As the 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg said in a speech given at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland earlier this year

“I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire because it is.”

Also Read: Australian wildfires: An apocalypse for wildlife

A note from the Editor on Scientia Pakistan’s 1st Anniversary

Saadeqa Khan
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A note from the Editor on Scientia Pakistan’s 1st Anniversary

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower, whereas creativity could be a pass time or hobby, but the best creativity is a result of a lot of hard work, dedication, and inspiration. One and a half years ago, when I kick-started the planning of digital science, mainly an Astronomy magazine, I got an overwhelming response from science communities and astronomers societies. Still, the project got delayed multiple times due to the inconsistent attitude of our youth and Astronomers societies.

Finally, in February 2019, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, we launched Scientia Pakistan magazine, thematically based on “love for science.” A much-needed initiative in Pakistan and for one year I, along with my team, mostly University students, tried our best to provide equal opportunities to all the skilled science writers and to those who are willing to pursue an off-beat career in science journalism.

At times our stories caught the attention of international media and science communities like SETI Institute, Gulf News, and Khaleej Times, but we have had a hard time to convince our own media in Pakistan that science could be a genre in mainstream media. At its best, science writing is an emerging field of journalism worldwide that needs more than a desire to become a science writer. At present, we have been communication obstacles in Pakistan, the eroding truths in media, and misinformation in social media, as we have witnessed in ongoing Wuhan-virus-outbreak.

The situation is equally alarming as we may have such epidemic outbreaks or sort of natural disaster anytime in our country as well. We need skilled and super-intended science journalists and more science magazines as well as a science channel that broadcasts science news with all their authenticity.

We are striving for our dream of the first Pakistani science channel, and we believe that an idea never turns as reality so quickly, it takes sweat, determination, and a lot of hard work, and we have trust in our instinct and pursuit.

On the 1st anniversary, we are launching our special edition“Year in Review” in PDF format with a hope that “as long as there is hope, there is joy in living. I want to say a humble thank you to Yawar Hussain, Maham Maqsood, Abdullah Khan, Aniqa Mazhar, Mubaris Bashir, and other team members who volunteered their precious time and energy to this magazine.

Enjoy your deal!

Saadeqa Khan CEO/EIC Scientia Pakistan

How Pakistan saved Markhor from going extinct

Faryal Qazi
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How Pakistan saved Markhor from going extinct

If natural beauty is the crown of Earth, then biodiversity is the jewel in this crown. However, anthropogenic activities are continually decaying this jewel. 

Markhor or Ibex is a unique wild species of goat family that inhabit the mountainous region of Central Asia, parts of Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. ‘Markhor’ is a name derived from the Persian language, which means the snake eater, therefore, their long twisted horns are often compared with snakes while its ability to climb steep hills defies gravity. However, despite its beauty and wild uniqueness, Markhor is one of the most threatened species in the world. 

The primary reason for Markhor being endangered is because of hunting, either legal or largely illegal. Its horns are of extreme commercial value that is used to make medicines, while its leather is used to make expensive garments. Due to these reasons, the main predators of Markhor are humans, followed by natural ones like snow leopards, wolves, and eagles. Another reason is their vulnerability to natural disasters. The majority of the Markhor population is found in Pakistan. In fact, it is the national animal of the country. Therefore, a brief overview of Pakistan in relation to Markhor is essential. Pakistan is also currently involved in mitigating the threat of extinction and has employed some successful schemes for the conservation of these animals. 

Pakistan is home to basically five subspecies of Markhor: Sulaimani Markhor, Astor Markhor, Kabul Markhor, Kashmiri Markhor, and Bukharan Markhor. Initially, according to the report of IUCN, these species were declared endangered in the ‘red list,’ and the main reason for the threat was hunting and poaching.

Pakistan is home to five subspecies of Markhor
Pakistan is home to five subspecies of Markhor

In fact, this practice was so common that people from different areas would gather in Gilgit and Chitral to hunt these wild goats down in a hope to get its horns as a trophy, as the person to kill in the first attempt is awarded the goats’ horns, which has a fair, high price in the market. Other reasons include the pollution in areas that disturb their natural environment which consequently affect these wild goats. As a result, when IUCN issued its red list, there were only less than 2500 of these goats left in the world, among which only 275 were inhabiting Pakistan (according to wildlife report issued by KPK government). 

However, steps undertaken by Pakistan in collaboration with Wildlife Conservation Society (WSC) in 1997 yielded positive results, and the population of Markhor has been increasing at a successful rate. According to one report in 2018, the population of Markhor in Pakistan is 3500. Some of the most effective measures which Pakistan took include controlled high priced trophy hunting, preservation of natural habitat, the establishment of local conservation committees, and training of locals that act as protectors of these animals against poaching and preventing unlawful activities.

Laws enacted at the national level include a high penalty of Rs. 3,500,000 while foreign hunter has to make the license of $ 6500 upon which they are only allowed to hunt aged animals that are unable to reproduce. Apart from WSC, there are various other organizations that are involved in the protection of Markhor. These include Pakistan Zoological Society, KPK Wildlife and Biodiversity, WWF, etc. 

Markhor’s horns are highly prized in the markets

But conservation of these animals is difficult in war-torn areas like Afghanistan and the highly militarized border of Kashmir between Pakistan and India where cross border collaboration is often required. However, each country with Markhor population is involved in the endeavor to protect these unique wild animals from the grim fate of extinction like Northern White Rhinoceros or Pyrenean Ibex or many other animals that are already extinct due to anthropogenic activities. For instance, a survey was conducted in Tajikistan in 2017 by IUCN in collaboration with various NGOs to keep track of the Markhor population, and the report concluded that there is an increasing number of Markhor. Despite these efforts, it must be noted that Markhor is still an endangered species, and it will take more of these efforts to fully make Ibexes out of the red list for good.  

It is now time that we realize that animals also form the critical building block of our lives. Apart from providing us with food and beautiful decoration pieces for our luxurious homes, they are an essential component of the circle of life, and if we continue to disturb this circle, then the day of our grim fate is not too far. 

Also Read: A Candid conversation with Mother-Daughter duo on Nature & Wildlife photography

Books & Movies With Amazing Animal Tales

Aniqa Mazhar
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Books & Movies With Amazing Animal Tales

It is very rare that movies and novels depict a good animal theme and do full justice to it. With this month’s theme being on Wildlife, we would surely like to direct your attention to some of the best movies and books on animals, and we’re confident that you will agree with our choice.

My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell

This is the narrative of British naturalist Gerald Durrell and his time spent on the magical Greek island of Corfu when his family shifted there during his childhood for a few years. He was an animal-lover and enthusiast from an early age, trapping spiders and their babies in matchboxes to observe them and keeping pet turtles and taking care of them. He used to spend his time in the garden or greeneries of the island and spend hours on end observing the animals, birds, or reptiles there. To his dismay, his siblings comprised of two brothers; one interested in books and the other in guns, and a narcissistic sister. Everyone loathed the creepy, crawly creatures Gerald bought home and often scolded him on his weird tastes.

The book has been written in an extremely delightful manner, with accurate and vivid descriptions from a keen observer of nature. The narrative has been spiced up with dashes of humor here and there, like the screams and cries of his family members upon finding insects or reptiles in their personal spaces thanks to their younger brother and the exchange of heated and cursed words that follow.

This is a very relaxing book indeed as it has a slow pace and detailed description, immersing the reader into the world of Corfu. One could read it for hours on end and be amused at the ongoings of the narrator’s life and how well he has sewn his beastly anecdotes into a complete picture.

Watership Down, Richard Adams

This highly well-written piece of literature is a deep comment on human activities and how they send the lives of animals into complete turmoil. The story is about how a rabbit in a warren senses the imminent danger his home faces and escapes with his comrades. Facing hardships along the way, they remain steadfast. They come across other warrens, escape dangers, and continuously struggle, but remain positive. The best part of the book is the ending when they successfully build their dream warren at Watership Down. The plot has many twists and turns, and it would not be just at all if they were discussed here because then the book would not be fun to read anymore.

The main themes of this book are the continuous hardships between tyranny and freedom and the decision taken to achieve peace and a perfect society to live in. The plot has been portrayed brilliantly and keeps the reader hooked till the end, tense about the future of the rabbits. If you haven’t read this book yet, how can you call yourself an animal-lover?

Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White

This cute children’s book about a little girl and her pet piglet is, I am sure, a part of everyone’s bookshelf. The tragic fate of farm animals has been highlighted in this book. Wilbur is a piglet too small for his size, and the farmer plans to shoot him. His little daughter is adamant at the treachery her father is about to inflict on a poor animal and raises her voice for justice for the pig. Her father gives her a time limit to care for the pig and see if she can fatten him up. It follows the beautiful descriptions of how the girl lovingly raises the pig, feeding it with milk bottles and cuddling it. The whole time she is worried about the fate of the pig. 

Time passes, and the girl grows up, finding lesser time for the pig and thus neglecting him. It is then that a spider who has witnessed everything hatches a clever plan to make the pig famous and thus save his life.

This is a beautiful story describing the stress felt by animals who know their fate and how humans are only interested in the meat and money they make from them. Also, the concept that one animal species can indeed help another of their animal family is illustrated in this book.

The Jungle Book

This epic tale of how a ‘man-cub’ ends up in the jungle and is raised by a pack of wolves is seriously one of the best movies enjoyed in childhood. How the animals lovingly raise the little boy Mowgli and consider him of his kin is quite heart-warming. But the terror of the jungle, Sher Khan the tiger sees Mowgli as a threat and plans to kill him.

The Jungle book features an animal tale.

Sher Khan had killed Mowgli’s parents in the past when he attacked the nearby jungle, and he hates man because of the ‘red flower,’ i.e., fire. There follows a chilling battle between the tiger and the man-cub, where both fight bravely until the tiger meets his demise, and the whole forest is on fire. Mowgli has saved the animals from the threat of Sher Khan but must decide between his jungle family or his village people.

The Lion King

Mufasa, King of the jungle, is blessed with a cub whom he names Simba and all the animals celebrate the arrival of the future lion king, except for Scar, Mufasa’s brother. He had planned to take the throne after his throne, but now Simba is the predecessor and is loathed by Scar from Day One.

Simba grows up to be an adventurous little cub, wishing to follow his father across the kingdom on his errands. His father forbids him to go to the Elephant Graveyard because of the hungry hyenas, but Scar lures him into going there. Simba, along with his best friend Nala, ventures beyond the limits and is encircled by a pack of hyenas who are about to eat them, but Mufasa saves them at the last moment.

There follows a father-son lesson of the ‘circle of life,’ which describes the delicate balance between prey and predators and life, death, and decay. Scar plans the death of Mufasa, blames it on Simba, and has him flee the forest and grabs the throne. Since he lets the hyenas hunt freely, the balance is disturbed, and the kingdom is dilapidating. Meanwhile, Simba makes friends with Timon and Pumba, who enjoy life with the motto of ‘Hakuna Matata,’ meaning no worries. Nala escapes the kingdom, finds Simba, and motivates him to come back, to which he refuses. Then Simba hears his father talking to him from the skies and reminding him of his responsibility as king. Their follows a blood-curdling confrontation with Scar, where Simba finds out the truth of his father’s death and takes his revenge.

The best part of this movie is all the songs that are so lively and engaging and give meaning to the film as well as its colorful and realistic portrayal of life in an animal kingdom.

What are some of your favorite animal anecdotes and plots? Do share in the comment section below! 

Also Read: How the Australian wildfires are affecting the Koalas

An Exclusive Tour of the Pakistan Museum of Natural History

Scientia
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An Exclusive Tour of the Pakistan Museum of Natural History

Corresponding to the theme of our wildlife edition, we decided to take a tour of the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) that is located near Shakarparian National Park, Islamabad. Housing more than 1.4 million specimens, the museum features extensive collections of wildlife and nature reserves. Other than sections for the public, it also has labs for Taxidermy of animals and allows researchers to work on their projects. It is currently managed by Pakistan Science Foundation under the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

Our team was lucky enough to visit the museum and have an exclusive look at their collections for researchers. Mr. Muhammad Asif, who is an Associate Curator at the Zoological Sciences section, graciously gave us the tour of the entire museum. Following is our conversation and interview with him about PMNH.

Skeleton of blue whale displayed outside the museum

Team Scientia: We are thankful for giving your time, Sir. Shall we start the tour?

Mr. Asif (Tour Guide): Sure. So, most of the things here in the museum are related to mammals, specifically their taxonomy. There is a researcher here for every discipline and tasked with looking into the matters related to their field. 

Here, we have our research block, which includes our reference collection from all over Pakistan. Ph.D. students from different universities come here and work on collections as per the requirement of their advanced research. From Molecular Biology to Genetics to Classical Taxonomy and other research fields, everything is included.

This is our Entomology lab. We had a project where the goal was to collect and preserve all the butterfly species in Pakistan. Other than butterflies, various other groups of insects have also been displayed here.

The museum houses around 1.4 million specimens

TS: Are these crafted models? What are they made up of?

TG: No. These are bodies that have been preserved via the process of stretching. It begins with the collection of animals in the field, especially insects.

TS: Are all these displayed species from this region (referring to Pakistan)?

TG: Yes. PMNH tends to collect the COMPLETE collection of rocks, minerals, flora, and fauna of a particular region for ease of reference and research. This gives us the complete picture of a region and what kind of wildlife, animals, etc. it inhabits, under one roof. 

TS: And does the general public have access to these collections? What if some member of the public wants to observe and work?

TG: This section is specifically for researchers. The displays on the first floor are for the general public.

TS: Coming back to the preservation process of these insects, can you please elaborate on the process of stretching?

TG: So, we begin by simply preserving them in the core and bringing here in the labs. After that, Pinning is done i.e.; we give them different positions on a thick board with the help of pins. In the case of insects, they have an exoskeleton made of Chitin, which is very hard. Their legs also need to be adjusted to set them in a proper posture. Pins are used to fixing them at the place.

(Top Left and Right) The entomology section has almost all specimens of the insects’ species in the region. (Bottom) Pinning of insects is done to fix them at a proper place

TS: What about the new species that are being discovered or are not a part of these assortments? After how long do you review your collections?

TG: We keep sending expeditions to the wild from time to time. It depends on the focus group of the research team. Students work on their species of interest, but our goal is to ensure the availability of all the species present in Pakistan here at our respective sections. Other than that, people donate foreign or exotic species as well, which we add to our displays and collections.

We have almost all the specimens of the bird species in Pakistan. Many of these are migratory as well, especially the ducks.

TS: Wow, there are so many! These preserved animals look so fresh! For how long do they remain unwithered?

 TG: The process is known as Taxidermy. When a bird or animal dies, skinning is done. It is easier and shorter for birds as their skin is not as thick. Mammals and reptiles require more time.

After skinning, dehydration is performed, and then chemical preservatives are applied. It is followed by stuffing. For that, casts are made, the posture is prepared, the skin is mounted, and the final touches are given. The specimens are preserved and good to go for almost 20 years, but if bacteria invade, this time may decrease, and we will have to refresh it.

We also have the depository of freshwater fishes and amphibians. This section covers all the freshwater fishes and species of Pakistan though the amphibian collection is not complete due to the lack of input to it.

TS: Are there other special methods for the collection?

TG: Yes. There is wet and dry preservation. Stuffing comes under dry preservation. Preservation done in chemicals is wet. There are further two types in wet: via alcohol and formalin. We are gradually shifting to alcohol because formalin is carcinogenic, and the coloration of the specimen also changes when it is used.

Clockwise from left: Skeleton of a juvenile whale; a replica fossil of a bird; skulls of animals; variety of eggs on display

TS: Being students of Biochemistry, we have studied that snake venom is used for designing pharmaceuticals and vaccines, etc. Given that you have an extensive collection of snakes, do you provide companies samples if they need it?

TG: No, because we preserve in wet. The venom is stored in a pouch above the head. And it denatures with time. For that purpose, NIH has the venoms that can be used in drug development, so most companies contact them.

TS: So, how do you decide where and in which section to put an animal? Do you classify geographically?

TG: We create it taxonomically, not geographically. By orders, species, etc. or based on morphological features. It is the job of the taxonomist to classify and decide using the features of the specimen. Mr. Riaz here does Taxidermy.

TS: AOA, Sir! Please do share the process with us.

Mr. Riaz: So, the steps are as follows: The specimen is cut at the center, and a wire is inserted into the legs and wings followed by mold. For example, this here is a bat. The muscles are made to denature. If traces are left, then long-term storage of the specimen is not possible.

So, we take it out completely and fill it with cotton, plaster of Paris, and poly compounds, mainly polyurethane. These are used to preserve body shape as they are light-weight and easy to maintain.

(Top Left and Right) Taxidermy mounds in the Zoological Section of the Museum; (Bottom) The taxidermy of a bat is being performed
(Top Left and Right) Taxidermy mounds in the Zoological Section of the Museum; (Bottom) The taxidermy of a bat is being performed

TS: Are they renewed from time to time?

Mr. Riaz: Yes, definitely! And that is due to the ectoparasites present on the skin. For that, specimens to be processed are placed in a freezer. The temperature is -30 degrees, and it kills the ectoparasites. The specimen is then taken out, and further processing is proceeded with.

TS: That’s great. (Moving on to the next section)

TG: This right here is our Pre-Partition Collection. It includes vertebrates and marine wildlife, among others. Before partition, there was the combined Zoological Survey department for both regions. After partition, Pakistan’s collection was set up in Karachi. But there were some issues related to the museum’s building, so the collection was shifted here. We have mammals, birds, and reptiles, etc. preserved here as well. Our collectors go to deep and far regions around the country to get these animals. For instance, we have sent deep-sea expeditions from Balochistan to various other ranges.

We also have here our bird collection. We have placed the same species within these drawers. For hair and DNA analysis, our specimens come into use.

(Top Left) The pre-partition collection that was provided to PMNH by Pakistan Zoological Survey Department; (Top Right) Many specimens are preserved in drawers that are used by researchers; (Bottom) Seashells in a jar collected from the Manora Island in Karachi

TS: That’s quite impressive. On your website, there was a mention of a biodiversity database. Can you share what that is?

TG: That is the complete database of all our collections. We have a link with international GBIF as well. We are working on that.

We also have exotic species like ostrich etc. Zoos of different cities have contact with us. When an animal dies, they donate the specimen to us.

TS: Speaking of exotic species, there was a lot of uproar recently on social media when a license was given for hunting of Houbara Bustard. Is hunting of endangered animals in Pakistan being done to a large extent?

TG: That is really not the case. Several initiatives are being taken to conserve animals like Houbara Bustard and Markhor. Their population is relatively stable, and to prevent any more damage, trophy hunting is allowed once in a while. But it should be noted that even if there are special rules and regulations, the local hunters do more damage than the foreign. And as far as these birds are concerned, they come from different migratory routes and are also hunted along the way in regions of Central Asia, Russia, etc. So, it’s not just that they are only hunted in Pakistan.

(L) Markhor on display; (R) Trophy heads section, some of them are the courtesy of the Pakistan Zoological Survey. Information about these animals is mentioned in detail at the bottom with their name and status.

TS: What about Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan? Is it still considered endangered?

TG: Actually, endangered species are those whose quantity in their natural habitat is less than 2000. Such are classified into the “Endangered” category. Markhor is not endangered as it is well above the limit in the wild. And it varies with each animal. For instance, Black Buck is extinct in the wild. But its breeding in captivity is being done at the Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur. Its active habitat is not available anymore, but it is present in quite a large amount in captivity. But there are many other species under threat in Pakistan e.g.; the snow leopard has been recently added to the list of endangered species as well as the leopard in the Margalla hills. 

TS: We see. What about the public section?

TG: This public section features various displays. There is a depiction of prehistoric life in caves. We also have displays of wildlife in the coastal area, specifically Hawkesbay. The turtle preserved with its eggs link to that. Other animals include crocodiles, pangolins, and otters, as you can see for yourself. These animals are under threat as well. Otter is now considered endangered here due to fish farming, and pangolins are being trafficked at a very high rate. 

We keep introducing changes in the museum every now and then to appeal to the public. For example, this is the Ecology section that we developed a while back. It shows the food chain concept in a simple and basic manner for the understanding of young children. All these other displays are curated specially for the younger audience. 

Clockwise from top left: Display section curated for a younger audience; a sea turtle; biodiversity section; Atomic-bombed Hiroshima stone on display; Pangolin

TS: What about this giant tree trunk?

TG: This is a transverse section of a tree trunk dating back to many years. It has its annual rings that can tell about its age. It can also tell us about the weather. We can tell that by looking at the circles within its trunk. When there’s rain, growth increases, and so does the distance between the rings. During harsh conditions, there is petite growth, so the rings are dark and narrow. We can predict the weather history the tree grew in.

Dendrochronology is the method to date trees using their annual rings

TS: So, how much biodiversity is there in Pakistan? Compared to other regions?

TG: The more biomes there are, means the more species there are. Pakistan has quite a large number of diverse species, almost all of those in South Asia. At our biodiversity section, we cover all zones from the coastal areas to the peaks of mountains.

TS: Climate change is a very hot topic these days. We also see its effects around the world, from Australian wildfires to flooding across various regions. Is wildlife at threat from climate change in Pakistan as well?

TG: Not really. We have changes in this region as well, but mostly we have the normal phenomenon of earthquakes, heavy rainfalls, and snowfalls. And as these are all-natural processes, there is flexibility in the environment to absorb its effects, and they can help in biome regeneration as well. But for species that became extinct in Pakistan, the major threat was and still is, urbanization. When their habitats are destroyed, the ultimate effect is on its population and survival. As you can see in Australia, there is a natural calamity happening at the moment, and within the next five to ten years, the surviving species will be able to regain their survival rate hopefully. 

TS: Please tell us about the Baluchitherium? (Referring to the life-size model standing in the PMNH grounds)

TG: It is the largest mammal ever found in this area. It was found in Dera Bugti, which has lots of vegetation. The Baluchitherium was a herbivore and required tons of thick vegetation to feed daily. Scientists from Switzerland signed a joint project with PMNH to find out more about it and its lifestyle.

The Life-sized model of the extinct Baluchitherium

TS: It looks quite a lot like the dinosaur. Is it its ancestor?

TG; No, not at all! The dinosaur was a reptile, and this was a mammal. They are not linked.

TS: All of your collection is so great. Why is there such a huge gap with the public? We looked at socials of other foreign organizations like American NMH on social media and other platforms. They have so many ongoing events that actively engage the public. On the other hand, your social page is quite dormant. Why is that so?

TG: Yes, we acknowledge that we do face problems. This right here is not a government priority. We do not get satisfactory support and funds. As you can see for yourself, the building construction has been incomplete for thirty years. We are trying our best we can with the resources we have. We often have events for the public, and students from schools also visit the museum fairly regularly.

TS: So, you not given enough resources and funds for the museum?

TG: Yes, there is not enough funding from the government. We have other different resources. We also collaborate with various international organizations, and funding is provided for research projects. We have an ongoing collocation with China, and we frequently work with other European countries on different programs.

TS: How is the public response?

TG: The Public response is quite good; visits increase day by day. According to our current data, we had almost 165,000 visitors in the last six months till December. The number of total visitors in the year is expected to add up to 195,000. Most of our public activities are concerned with students from schools and colleges.

TS: That is good to hear. We are so grateful for your time and this tour! Thank you so much.

TG: My pleasure!

Needless to say, we were much amused by the displays in the museum. So, the next time you are in Islamabad, make sure to check it out and see the great collection for yourself.

Also Read: A Candid conversation with Mother-Daughter duo on Nature & Wildlife photography

Image Credits: Scientia Pakistan

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