Railway police foil deer smuggling bid

KARACHI: The railway police on Thursday handed over a pair of chinkara gazelles to Sindh wildlife department (SWD) officials after foiling an attempt to smuggle them.

The officials said that the fawns were taken into custody but the smuggler managed to escape.

Sharing further details, SWD inspector Naeem Khan said that the railway police had informed the department that the chinkara deer had been kept in a wooden box near the Karachi Cantonment railway station.

According to Khan, the transportation of chinkara deer was illegal and an inquiry had been launched. “Those who want to transport such animals must possess legal documents.”

SWD officials said that the chinkara pair was not wild but had been bred in captivity, adding that they were in healthy condition and would be released at the newly-announced Takkar National Park, in Sukkur’s Kot Diji taluka.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2020.