An elderly male snow leopard found dead in the Garam Chashma area of Chitral earlier this week died of natural causes, officials confirmed on Tuesday, describing the incident as a rare and positive indicator of improving human-wildlife coexistence in the region.

The carcass was discovered on January 19 in a forested area above Wakht village.

A joint field assessment and postmortem conducted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department and the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) found that the animal, estimated to be around 12 years old, died from severe diarrhoea and dehydration linked to old age and prolonged food shortage.

Officials said there was no evidence of poaching, poisoning, snaring or any other form of human-induced harm.

Wildlife experts noted that large carnivores in many parts of the world rarely survive to old age due to conflict with humans, making a natural death in the wild an uncommon ecological signal.

Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Shezra Mansab Kharal said the case reflected the impact of science-based conservation and sustained community engagement.

“When communities are supported and involved, coexistence with rare species like the snow leopard becomes possible,” she said.

“A natural death of such an animal reflects improved protection and growing public awareness in Pakistan’s mountain landscapes.”

The Garam Chashma area had drawn attention in recent months after videos showing snow leopards near human settlements circulated on social media, raising concerns among local residents.

In response, the KP Wildlife Department and SLF conducted community awareness sessions and promoted preventive measures to protect livestock.

According to SLF, local communities opted for long-term mitigation solutions rather than compensation claims. These included livestock vaccination, commitments to expand predator-proof corrals, livestock insurance schemes and conservation education initiatives.

GSLEP Emissary Jamal Leghari said most snow leopards across their range are lost to human-related causes.

“When an animal survives long enough to die naturally, it strongly suggests that coexistence is working on the ground,” he said.

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Chitral Farooq Nabi said field teams thoroughly inspected the site and found no signs of conflict or illegal activity.

“The postmortem clearly indicates natural causes. This reflects consistent patrolling, community cooperation and close coordination with conservation partners,” he said.

SLF Director Dr Muhammad Ali Nawaz said the case should be viewed in a broader conservation context.

“In landscapes where human-caused mortality is common, a natural death is not just a biological event but a signal of coexistence,” he said, adding that the animal had avoided persecution throughout its life.

While terming the loss of any snow leopard unfortunate, officials and conservationists said the circumstances demonstrated tangible progress in community-based conservation efforts.

Authorities and SLF said they would continue strengthening conflict-mitigation measures, expanding livestock protection programmes and maintaining monitoring across Chitral’s snow leopard habitat.