ALIGARH : Professor Orus Ilyas, Department of Wildlife Sciences (DWS), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), attended the 9th World Conference on Mountain Ungulates (9WCMU) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan which served as a vital platform for international collaboration and knowledge exchange in wildlife conservation.

Prof Ilyas presented her research on the ecology of the elusive but magnificent Himalayan Tahr found in the Western Himalayas. Her research, funded by the UGC/Gov of India, and ANRF-SERB, contributed valuable insights into the global understanding of these remarkable mountain ungulates and their habitat requirements.

She also attended the International Conference on Snow Leopard Ecosystems Conservation and Marco Polo Conservation Action Plans at Dushanbe and conducted an eight-hour expedition to observe Markhor in their natural habitat at a National reserve near the Afghanistan border.

She said that her visit extended beyond Tajikistan, including a stop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, further enriching the international experience and providing additional opportunities for regional collaboration in wildlife conservation.