Wildlife in Soan Valley at great risk

Forests in Soan Valley host rare species of wildlife

KHUSHAB:

It seems that the poachers have a field day in the Soan Valley, endangering the wildlife there by poaching ducks, eagles and other birds migrated from Siberia and other European regions. They are not sparing Ariyal in the Salt Range, nor the local birds such as the black and brown partridges.

The Khushab District Wildlife Department has reportedly been unable to check the poachers. Wildlife abounds in the dense forests of the Soan Valley. These forests host some very rare species of wildlife. In addition, there are three lakes in the world-famous Soan Valley, which also have the status of Wetland and Samsar Site.

Lake Ochhali is a game reserve where hunting is done from time to time, but Khibiki and Jahlar lakes are game sanctuaries where hunting is completely banned. Millions of ducks and other birds from Siberia and other European regions come to these lakes to spend the winter season each year, but many of them fall prey to the bullets of the hunters.

Mohammad Asif, a local resident, said that the hunters were also bent upon obliterating the entire Ariyal breed in the Salt Range and the mountainous region of the Soan Valley. The breeding season begins in February, and December and January are very important for female ariyals, but because of the hunters, the female ariyal has to face a lot of trouble because it cannot run fast.

Many females are hunted along with their babies. He further added that the female ariyals lay eggs at the top of the mountain. The hunters set fire to the area, causing them to come down in fear and into the mouth of death. If illegal hunting continues, the ariyal will become extinct.

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A few days ago, intelligence agencies and Nowshera SHO Malik Amir Shehzad Awan in an operation in Soan Valley arrested an illegal hunter and recovered 33 precious partridges from his possession, but the hunting department employees remained ignorant about the hunters.

Similarly, it was reported that the wildlife department had seized two ariyals from a hunter, but they too mysteriously went missing.

A wildlife expert, Malik Farooq Awan, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that wildlife is the main beauty of this area, and its protection is necessary to maintain it. Illegal hunting poses a serious threat to wildlife. The government pays the wildlife department millions of rupees in funds and salaries, but the ongoing illegal hunting is a matter of concern.

Wildlife department deputy director Naeem Tahir told The Express Tribune that Khushab and Sargodha teams were patrolling together to stop illegal hunting. He said that they had imposed a fine of Rs80,000 on an illegal poaching party in the last few days.