The ‘Rah-e-Tahaffuz’ project is rooted in addressing the declining population of the Balochistan black bear (subspecies of Asiatic black bear) in the Sulaiman Mountain Range, Pakistan. The project is formulated by Youth Association for Development (YAD) Pakistan and funded by Bears in Mind since 2026, following consultations with tribal elders regarding increased human-wildlife conflict due to climate change impacts and historical illegal trade of cubs.

Previous conservation efforts have largely overlooked the Sulaiman Mountain Range, leaving a data vacuum. This new initiative seeks to integrate tribal consent and community-led conservation to fill this gap and mitigate threats like retaliatory killings stemming from crop damage.

The project aims to stabilise the local bear population by establishing the first-ever community-verified distribution map using 12 camera traps and reducing human-bear conflict by 50% through the installation of 20 solar-powered light deterrents. Led by YAD Pakistan in collaboration with local tribal elders (Maliks), the project will recruit and train 10 local youth as Sherani Bear Guardians.

By linking bear survival to the health of the community-owned forests, the project team ensures a sustainable, indigenous model for wildlife protection that thrives without external policing.