Pakistani researcher Bilal Mustafa has been named Young Researcher of the Year by the International Council for Conservation of Game and Wildlife (CIC), one of Europe’s oldest hunting and wildlife conservation organisations.
According to Mustafa, he is the first Pakistani to receive the award. The honour was presented in recognition of his ongoing research, which was selected from submissions received from around the world.
His research focuses on the impact of trophy hunting on mountain carnivores, ungulates and the communities living in and around Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains.
Mustafa is currently pursuing a PhD at Tarleton State University in Texas, United States, with co-supervision from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Reacting to the award, Mustafa said it recognised his research efforts and marked an important milestone for Pakistan’s contribution to wildlife conservation science.
“I hope this recognition encourages further research and greater international collaboration in the field of biodiversity conservation,” he said.