Iraq finds itself in the news, usually due to violence and conflict.
But the country also boasts a rich natural environment spanning jagged
mountains in the north to pristine deserts in the south, offering
a habitat to 84 endangered species. Wildlife conservationists are
trying to strengthen laws and raise awareness.
To save these animals from extinction. Special correspondent Simona
14 begins her report in the Caradon Mountains of northern Iraq.
We're following Hannah Ahmed Raza on her arduous journey in pursuit
of the Persian Leopard, one of the 17 endangered mammals in Iraq.
Scrambling across the rugged terrain in the company's by forest police.
The wildlife conservationists trying to locate one of over 30 motion
sensor cameras set up three months ago to photograph the elusive
cats. So for today, we're going to pick up
Two camera traps.
And then we will check and see if we were successful in
Ah, trapping a leopard or not. The Persian leopard once roamed large
parts of Iraq from the mountains in the north to the lowlands. Further
self it was thought to have gone extinct as a result of decades of
war.
Hunting in the gradual destruction of its natural habitat than in
2011. Hannah's camera traps strapped to oak trees along hidden forest
paths, first photograph that rare predator She has since been working
on a population estimate. But while these remote border areas offer
refuge to the leopard,
They also posed challenges for those trying to conserve it. Sometimes
the government
suspect get suspicious about the use of the cameras we use. There
is a lot of paperwork that
You know, needs to happen in order for us to conduct camera trapping
and fieldwork that the physical risk of accessing this previously
wore afflicted region. There's a lot of minefields that we that that
stops stops us from
Going into the mountains freely and set up camera traps believes
around two dozen mostly male Persian leopards live in the Kurdish
mountains of northern Iraq sustained by a larger breeding population
across the border in Iran.
To map and protect the migration corridors used by the animals. She
collaborates with Iranian conservationists.
But the project came to a sudden halt in 2018 after her Iranian counterparts
were arrested and later convicted for spying most likely because
they used camera traps the animals that we said here already in,
um, facing a lot of threats.
When when the conservationists are are imprisoned
right now in Iran, there is no no. One
in the field to work on protecting these animals.
Back at the car. Hannah flicks pictures taken by the camera. We just
recovered. There are photos of wild goats Rangers patrolling but
no leopard.
That's nothing.
I had great hopes for this one, actually.
Has disappointed
Yeah.
It's very, very disappointing. Still more setbacks are to come. Hannah
sets off to recover. The second camera had returns empty handed.
The camera was stolen likely by hunters who fear it could expose
them. This is actually the second time my cameras are stolen in this
Particular area of the mountain so
And then, as we were coming down and actually saw hunt to hunters
hunting in Kurdistan is forbidden, except for two bird species in
the hair. But the Rangers are too under resourced too thinly spread
to enforce regulations.
Oil exploration here in the paradox. Mountains risks further hampering
conservation efforts for four years, Conservationists have lobbied
authorities to designate Karada as a nature reserve for the Persian
leopard.
But the process has been hampered by red tape the lack of adequate
legislation as well as urgency on the part of the regional government,
which is grappling of a myriad of political, economic insecurity
issues.
To catch a glimpse of the Persian leopard. We had to visit the zoo
in nearby
this six year old male recently lost his hind leg when he fell into
a trap set by local farmers.
Wildlife vet and conservation is Dr Sulaiman Tamir had no choice
but to amputate the injured leg. The leopard now faces a lifetime
in captivity. But Dr Sulaiman hopes the animal could still prove
useful for conservation efforts because it's like, um, rear species
of animal here
for scientific or for research is very good.
Maybe it's what we do like some keep some semen. Or we can do do
something like artificial insemination, or we increase some some
reproductive for for for for our new generation.
Illegal hunting is not just threatening wildlife in Iraqi Kurdistan.
It is wiping out ever shrinking populations of endangered species
across the country, including here in Iraq's southern desserts bordering
Saudi Arabia.
We joined a group of local hunters looking for the Asian Khobar,
a bustard and migratory bird that spends the winters in Iraq.
In the past. The quantity of the Khobar A was much more than the
current year. But because of the large number of hunters, the number
of birds has gone down.
The WHO Barra is a prized bird that can sell for hundreds of dollars.
It's traditionally hunted with the help of Falcons. Many of the Falconer's
flooding these desserts during the colder winter months are not Iraqis.
But hunting delegations from nearby Gulf countries like Qatar or
Kuwait. Their presence injects much needed money into the local economy.
I used alone welcome. People here work as guides with the visitors
from the Gulf countries. Also the visitors by sheep, food and vegetables
from the market fuel for their cars. And all of these things benefit
the local community, which is good.
But others are concerned that over hunting is quickly depleting the
already scarce natural resources of the barren deserts
over hunt and waste. The desert animal population such as the hair,
the Khobar, A and other birds hunt for entertainment.
The men say that the Iraqi government has encouraged hunting delegations
from Gulf countries with whom Prime Minister Mustapha Al Kaddoumi
has sought to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties. But in Baghdad,
officials at the Ministry of Environment say hunting of the Khobar
a remains strictly forbidden, and that permissions are granted through
personal connections rather than official channels. They have the
permissions. Sure.
But who authorized them? I don't know
for it through the governor it that they are willing to come and
spend money and the governor accepts, just like in Iraqi Kurdistan
to the north.
The environmental police don't have the resources to enforce the
law.
The result is that it has become nearly impossible to spot Ahelbarra.
Early morning, we set out with Jabbar to try our luck,
fishers and bushes over there. That's where the Khobar likes to hide,
but there's no trace of the bird this morning.
See there's nothing crossing in this track. I can only see footprints
for the Fox but no who Barra. Rising temperatures and desertification
are putting further pressure on endangered species.
Gradually eroding precious habitat. But both climate change and conservation
rank low on the government's list of priorities, leaving conservationists
alone in their uphill battle to preserve Iraq's wildlife. For the
PBS news hour Simona fault een in the north and south of Iraq.