Rare eagle worth over Rs100 million recovered in Punjab's Taunsa

Suspect involved in smuggling arrested; authorities confirm bird worth more than $36,000 in international markets.

The Punjab government has recovered a rare species of eagle in the Taunsa area, valued at over Rs100 million in the global market, officials said.

The operation was done during the ongoing crackdown against the illegal trade and smuggling of rare animals and birds in the province.

According to Punjab Wildlife officials, the operation was conducted based on a tip-off, leading to a joint operation between the Wildlife Department and local police.

The suspect involved in the illegal trade of rare birds for smuggling abroad has been arrested.

Wildlife authorities confirmed that the rare eagle, which is physically healthy, is valued at more than $36,000 in international markets.

The eagle will be released back into the wild with a tracker attached to monitor its movement.

Punjab's Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb emphasized the importance of birds in maintaining ecological balance.

She also noted that several rare animals and birds have been recovered and transferred to zoos, with many receiving treatment that saved their lives.

Earlier this month on September 16, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) authorities successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 78 rare cranes from Balochistan.

The operation, led by the KP Department of Climate Change, Forests, and Wildlife, unfolded at the Sikandar Check Post in South Waziristan.

According to officials, wildlife personnel intercepted a single-cabin vehicle carrying the cranesThe vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint, and upon inspection, the 78 cranes were discovered.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested, and the cranes were seized. The confiscated cranes are set to be transferred to the Dera Ismail Khan Zoo for safe custody.