'24% of 552 Punjab wildlife rangers women'

The Punjab government has announced a series of measures to strengthen wildlife protection, curb illegal hunting and combat wildlife crimes across the province as World Animal Day was observed on Sunday.

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Punjab was entering a "new era" of wildlife conservation under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, with animal protection being made a government priority. She said Punjab had become the first province in the country to increase the strength of its Wildlife Rangers to 552, including 24 per cent women.

During the past two years, more than 14,000 challans and over 2,000 FIRs had been registered against illegal hunting and wildlife trafficking, while fines and compensation of more than Rs215 million had been recovered.

Aurangzeb said more than 50,000 birds, over 1,000 wild animals and 37 bears had been rescued and rehabilitated during enforcement operations. She added that the total number of rescued birds had crossed 51,000, while 38 bears had also been rescued.

She said field operations and legal action against wildlife crimes had been strengthened across Punjab, with three modern rescue centres, mobile veterinary clinics and the province's first Wildlife Rescue Force established to provide rescue, rehabilitation and treatment facilities.

According to the minister, Pakistan's first modern wildlife hospital had also been established at Safari Zoo. The facility has a CT scan, X-ray, laboratory, operation theatre, anaesthesia rooms and other medical facilities.

Mobile veterinary clinics were providing on-site treatment and emergency medical assistance to wildlife at safari parks, zoos and other facilities, she added.

Aurangzeb said all 108 protected areas in Punjab had been digitised on the chief minister's directions, while 920 GIS maps had also been prepared. The Punjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary had been established for dolphin conservation, and the province's first wildlife census had been completed.

She said amendments to the Wildlife Act and Big Cat Regulation had strengthened legal protection for wildlife, including big cats.

Lahore Zoo, Safari Zoo, Changa Manga and other parks across the province were also being upgraded according to international standards, she added.

"Animals are an essential part of the ecological balance and survival of the planet," Aurangzeb said, adding that their protection was not the sole responsibility of the wildlife department but a collective responsibility of society. She said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had made it clear that cruelty against animals would not be tolerated in Punjab. Meanwhile, a three-day painting competition and awareness walk were organised at Lahore Zoo to mark World Animal Day.

Children, young people and participants from different age groups took part in the competition, producing paintings highlighting wildlife, natural habitats and animal conservation.

A participating student, Fatima, said the paintings conveyed messages about the importance of natural habitats, wildlife and compassion for animals.

An awareness walk was also held under the leadership of Lahore Zoo Director Dr Ghulam Rasool, who said the activity aimed to highlight the importance of animals and birds to the ecosystem and the need for collective efforts to protect them.