Protection of Wildlife: ‘Birds and animals have nowhere to go’

Wildlife DG says we need to pledge to protect wildlife in the country

LAHORE:

“We have laws to protect wildlife…what we need is to make these laws more stringent and effective,” Wildlife Director General Khalid Ayaz Khan said at an event held in connection with the  International Day for the Protection of Wildlife on Thursday.

He said there was a dire need to check illegal hunting of wildlife and endangered animals in the country. “There is also a need to rehabilitate habitat for wild animals and birds.” The government has been working on a programme to raise awareness in this regard among students at schools, colleges and universities all over the province.

“We are working on various projects aiming to protect wildlife from man-made threats…we are also trying to safeguard their natural habitat.” He said it was a national responsibility to ensure that land inhabited by wildlife was not encroached on. “We want their population to grow and for them to be safe.”

Khan said they were working on providing protection to wild animals through community-based organisations. “However, a lot needs to be done.”

The International Day for the Protection of Wildlife provides the people of Pakistan a chance to pledge to protect wildlife in the country, the Wildlife director general said.

“Our population is increasingly rapidly…as our cities and villages expand to accommodate an increasing population, our birds and animals get pushed out. We have been wreaking havoc on their space to make room for our residential and commercial interests,” he said.

As a result, the number of birds and animals has been dwindling rapidly, said Khan. To combat this, the department has initiated several projects to reclaim lost habitat and to rehabilitate spaces to accommodate wildlife and birds, he said. The idea is to encourage breeding of more birds and animals, Khan explained.

“But we need the support of the civil society in this regard…our efforts mean little if the people of the country do not get on board and play a positive role in protecting wildlife.”

Khan also led an awareness walk in this regard and visited various stalls where stuffed and live birds and animals were displayed. Earlier, former Wildlife director general Hayat Muhammad Khan, Zoo Management Committee member Sara Tahir, Dr Kamran, and professors of the Punjab University and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences addressed the participants at the event. They shared their views on steps being taken to protect wildlife.

The event was arranged at Lahore Safari Zoo Park. Honorary Punjab Game Warden Shah Rukh Butt and former honorary game warden Badar Munir also attended the event. The Wildlife director general told the participants that the department would encourage any initiatives taken in the province for the protection of wildlife and endangered animals.

The International Day for the Protection of Wildlife was observed in 182 countries on March 3.

Virtual University celebrates

The Virtual University’s Department of Biology, in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan, organised a seminar at the MA Jinnah Campus to raise awareness about protecting wildlife.

Virtual University Rector Naveed A Malik, was the chief guest and WWF Pakistan Conservation Manager Humera Aisha was a guest speaker.

The speakers discussed the impact of hunting, poaching, unsustainable agricultural practices and urbanisation on native species of plants and wild animals.

“Several plants have already been declared extinct and several species are threatened.”

The speakers discussed various threats to wildlife.

They discussed ways to protect species and ecosystems to make sure they were around for future generations.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.