The discussion about the literal meanings for animals in Farsi/Dari got me thinking about the biodiversity of Afghanistan, and the animals that once inhabited or still present in the country. Here it goes, I’ll start with a couple of extinct animals first:

The Caspian Tiger once lived in Afghanistan in the north along the Amu Darya. This subspecies of Tiger was the second largest only behind the Siberian Tiger. It is believed to have gone extinct in the country in 1958.

A photo taken in 1899 at the Berlin Zoo of the Caspian Tiger:

The Asiatic Cheetah formerly inhabited most areas of Afghanistan, and it is said to have gone extinct in the country in the 1950’s.

Photo credit: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty

Now for the animals still present: The Snow Leopard. They are found in the Wakhan Corridor in the northeast.

Photo Credit: AP

Pallas’s Cat (a.k.a. Manul) is found in the northeastern parts of the country, and possibly also in the southeast.

Wolves are found in several parts of Afghanistan, but the exact distribution is uncertain. There have been reports of encounters and attacks on villagers and their livestock in Logar and Maiwand. These attacks are possibly due to scarcity of their natural prey.

Photo credit: WCS

The Persian Leopard’s exact distribution in the country is unknown, but in 2011, it was caught in a camera-trap in Bamyan Province.

Here is a photo of it that was caught. Photo Credit: WCS Afghanistan

The Corsac Fox or the Steppe Fox is found mostly in the northern parts of the country.

The Striped Hyena’s extact distribution in the country isn’t certain, but there have been several reported sightings in Kandahar Province.

The Asiatic Black Bear lives in a narrow area in the eastern parts of the country.

The Himalayan Brown Bear possibly still lives in the northeastern parts of Afghanistan, but it isn’t definitive. It used to be found in the eastern, central, and western parts of the country, but it’s now extinct in those areas.

The Kashmir Musk Deer, previously thought to have been extinct in Afghanistan, was spotted in Nuristan province in 2014. This deer is known for having fangs.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS

The Central Asian Pit Viper or Gloydius Intermedius is found in northwestern Afghanistan.

The Spotted Whipped Snake or Hemorrhois Ravergieri is also found in the country.

Photo credit: iNaturalist

The Bengal Monitor lives along the Kabul River Valley.

Photo credit: Reptile Facts

The Afghan Leopard Gecko also lives along the Kabul River Valley.

The Russian Tortoise, also known by other names such as the Afghan Tortoise, Central Asian Tortoise, and the Steppe Tortoise, is common in the country.

A few subspecies of bats such as the Kashmir Cave Bat, Sind Bat, and Hodgson’s Bat, are found in the areas near the Western Himalayas, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces, respectively.

It’s worth noting that these animals have beaten the odds just by still existing in the country after 40 years of war/conflict. War not only has insurmountable effects on people, but it can also be devastating to the biodiversity and environment.

I forgot about this beautiful pheasant! The Himalayan Monal lives in the eastern parts of the country.

Photo credit: Ajit Hota/Wikipedia Commons

One more animal that slipped my mind: the Rhesus Macaque. They live in eastern Afghanistan, and yes, these are the same subspecies of monkeys known for their naughtiness and amusing antics in India and Pakistan.

Photo credit: Eromaze/Getty Images

Markhor lives in Badakhshan Province. Its name translates to "snake eater" in Dari/Farsi. There is a musical puppet show called "buz bazi" there in which marionettes of markhor are used by the puppeteer while they play the dambura at the same time.

Photo Credit: a-z animals

I've looked up that the Pashto word for markhor is "marghomai" which literally means "wild goat." Pashto speakers, please feel free to let me know if this is incorrect!

So, I also found out that these cute little animals reside in Afghanistan. The Eurasian Otter lives in the Wakhan Corridor, although its exact population size isn't known.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Bernard Landgraf