Zoological Survey Department

i) Detailed wildlife surveys were undertaken in different ecological zones of the country such as Kirthar National Park in Sindh, Lal Suhanra National Park in Punjab, Ayubia and Chitral Gol National parks in NWFP, Hazarganji/Chiltan and Hingol National Parks in Balochistan, Tharparkar, coastal areas, Chotiari reservoir, and Salt range etc.

On the basis of the information gathered on the distribution of the fauna, wildlife distribution maps, inventories and checklists of Fauna of Pakistan have been published, wildlife distribution maps have been prepared depicting status of each species.

ii) Study on vertebrate fauna of the Mangroves have been completed. The data collected in this regard will help in the conservation of the mangroves which is the breeding place for fishes & shrimps. Pakistan earns a hand some amount of foreign exchange from export of fishes & shrimps.

iii) The department has been declared scientific authority for CITES and Global Taxonomic Initiative (GTI) focal point under (CBD) Convention on Biodiversity by the Ministry.

iv) The inventories of major wetlands of Pakistan have been prepared for the Asian Wetland Directory and published by the IUCN.

v) Five training courses in wildlife surveys and identification have been held in 1979, 1980, 1982, 1985 and 2003, for the field staff of the provincial Wildlife Departments.

vi) More than 270 research papers has been published in National and international journals. A number of research papers has been presented in zoological congresses and workshops. The Department publishes a scientific research journal viz. Records Zoological Survey of Pakistan. Fifteen volumes of the RECORDS have been published so far.

Research papers have been published in renowned journals as Bulletin of Florida State Museum, Agriculture Pakistan, Biologia, Pakistan Journal of Zoology, Journal Bombay Natural History Society, Journal of Asiatic Society, Journal of Marine Biology and the Proceedings of Science Conferences, Symposia and Congress of Zoology

vii) The Department has undertaken several surveys/research projects in collaboration with International organization e.g. International Waterfowl Research Bureau, International Crane Foundation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, WWF-Pakistan & IUCN in the matters concerning conservation of wildlife.

viii) The Director ZSD is the Coordinator of Mid-winter Waterfowl Census. The census of Waterfowl is organised on the major wetlands of the country on fixed dates each year and the census results are communicated to A.W.B., for analysis and publication. This data has helped to identify the important wetlands of Pakistan and the kind & number of waterbirds wintering on them.