Mongooses, barn owl rescued from Empress Market

The small mammals are apparently sold for the purpose of witchcraft

KARACHI: At least 19 wild mongooses brought to the city for "sorcery" were rescued from Empress Market, along with a barn owl in the possession of the same person.

The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) conducted a raid based on a tip-off on Sunday, when buyers and sellers from across the city and areas outside the metropolis frequent the busy market.

The rescued animals were released into the wild on the Northern Bypass near Hub Dam.

"The man managed to escape when we reached the spot near the main bus stop at Empress Market," said Muhammad Azeem Burfat, who led the raid team. "We took the mongooses and owl in our custody," he stated, adding that a complaint had been registered according to the law.

Burfat told The Express Tribune that he had never seen the purchase of mongooses before. "We have been told by our sources that a few people are involved in the trade, but unfortunately, we have not yet been able to trace them," he said.

While it is unclear who purchases the small carnivores, SWD officials as well as those involved in the trade of birds and animals believe that mongooses and barn owls are often used for the purpose of sorcery. "The traders that I meet say that they are used for witchcraft," explained Burfat.

Staging fights between snakes and mongooses is a common practice too, and a number of snake-charmers in the cities and towns often keep both to organise shows in busy markets. Burfat stated that they also bought mongooses, but believed that their raid confirmed that the rescued mongooses had been brought to the city for a different purpose, since the seller also had a barn owl in his possession.

"These poor mammals have nothing to do with the vicious wishes of humans. Let them live," appealed SWD conservator Javed Ahmed Maher. "Keep an eye upon those using wild animals for witchcraft and report them to us for legal action."

A single mongoose can cost up to Rs5,000. "The prices start from Rs1,500 but the demand for them seems high," said Burfat, adding that SWD's routine patrolling had made people avoid dealing in wild animals and birds.

Senior SWD officials had received information about the mongoose trade about a month ago. "We have never caught anyone selling or purchasing mongooses before," another SWD official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2020.