Punjab Wildlife Rangers recover three black bears in one week

Crackdown against illegal possession of protected animals continues across the province

Punjab Wildlife Rangers have successfully recovered three black bears in the past week as part of an ongoing crackdown against the illegal possession of protected wildlife, officials said. Several individuals have also been booked in connection with these cases.

According to the Punjab Wildlife Department, the operations are being carried out under the directives of Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb and Secretary of Forests and Wildlife Captain (retired) Tahir Zafar Abbasi. Chief Wildlife Ranger Mobeen Elahi is leading the province-wide effort to retrieve illegally kept protected animals.

In one of the recent operations, the Wildlife Rangers of the Dera Ghazi Khan region, in coordination with Muzaffargarh Police, specifically the Jatoi Police Station, recovered a black bear. One suspect was arrested at the scene, while FIRs were filed against three other individuals involved. The recovered bear has been transferred to the Dera Ghazi Khan Zoo for proper care.

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Additional Chief Wildlife Ranger Punjab, Syed Kamran Bukhari, stated that this specific operation was prompted after a video showing a bear fighting with a dog went viral on social media. Immediate action was taken following the incident.

Over the past week, two black bears were recovered from Lodhran district, while one was rescued from Dera Ghazi Khan. With these recent recoveries, the total number of black bears retrieved across Punjab has reached 25.

Bukhari emphasised that the Wildlife Department will continue its strict and impartial actions against all individuals involved in the illegal keeping and mistreatment of protected animals.

The ongoing operations underscore the provincial government’s commitment to protecting endangered and vulnerable wildlife, ensuring that illegal activities involving such animals are met with strict legal action.