Researchers stunned after spotting rare creature in remote mountain range: 'A species on the brink of extinction'

The sighting of a striped hyena in Tuman Leghari, Pakistan, highlights the importance of protecting endangered species and enforcing hunting laws.

The animal was spotted in the Koh-i-Sulaiman mountains, Dawn reported.

Striped hyenas have zebra-like markings and bushy manes that resemble body-length mohawks. They are rarely seen because they are nocturnal and live in treacherous and inconspicuous habitats such as rocky outcroppings and dense shrublands, according to National Geographic.

The magazine noted that myths about the creatures have made them a target of human persecution, including via poisoning and poaching. In Egypt, for instance, a spotted hyena was killed by locals after it was seen in an area where the animals had not ventured in 5,000 years.

Where this hyena was observed, hunting has decimated biodiversity, with one person alone killing three striped hyenas, six wolves, and 130 foxes, Dawn detailed. Birds — namely gray and black francolins, the chukar partridge, and the see-see partridge — have been nearly wiped out, too.

"The striped hyena is a species on the brink of extinction," Leghari tribe chief and environmental activist Jamal Khan Leghari said. "It's a rare treat to sore eyes."

The regional threats to wildlife are exacerbated by a lack of enforcement of laws, and there is also little awareness about wildlife protection, according to Dawn. Jamal Leghari said officials, conservation groups, and community members must educate hunters about endangered species and that anti-poaching statutes must be enforced.

The striped hyena is endangered in Pakistan and near threatened globally; National Geographic labeled it "vulnerable to local extinction."

"The sighting of the striped hyena is a reminder of the rich biodiversity we stand to lose if immediate action is not taken," Jamal Leghari said. "The hunting culture, and a lack of education and enforcement, is pushing our wildlife to the brink of extinction."

As he noted, wildlife conservation can have a massive impact on populations. In Uganda, for example, spotted hyenas are out-surviving lions in protected areas. 

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"Conservationists consider the striped hyena a keystone species crucial for maintaining ecological balance," Dawn stated.

The scavengers — much like other fauna, including Indian vultures — are critical to ecosystem cleanup efforts, crushing bones, horns, and hooves with their powerful jaws and killing carrion bacteria with incredible digestive systems, National Geographic highlighted.

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