Punjab wildlife dept to use helicopter for monitoring

The Wildlife Act of Cybercrime to also be amended

LAHORE: The Punjab wildlife department has decided to use the helicopter to protect the wildlife, especially the black deer (blackbuck) and chinkara deer in the area of Cholistan. The Wildlife Act of Cybercrime will also be amended.

Punjab Honourary Game Warden Badar Munir chaired a meeting in this regard. Headquarters Deputy Director Naeem Bhatti, Mudasir Hussain along with Wildlife experts and officials attended the meeting. In this meeting, various recommendations have been prepared which would be sent to the Punjab government for approval.

As per the recommendations given in the meeting, a policy would be set to achieve the special permit of hunting in the game reserve. Immediate measures will be taken to protect the decreasing population of quails. The amendments to the Cybercrime Wildlife Act have also been decided in order to stop wildlife cybercrime.

A clear policy will be made regarding the sale of surplus animals in public zoos and breeding centres. Measures will also be taken for the maintenance of the natural habitat of animals while the workers who perform significantly in preventing illegal hunting and smuggling would also be rewarded.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2019.