Official Raid: 20 falcons seized from Empress Market
One owl and a monkey were also seized from the market.
KARACHI:
Wildlife officials seized 20 Lesser Kestrels from the Empress Market in Saddar on Saturday. The falcons were confiscated in a crackdown against illegal wildlife dealers.
One owl and a monkey were also seized from the market. The Lesser Kestrel is widespread from Central Asia all the way up to China, and generally spends winters in Pakistan. In the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the falcon’s conservation status is classified in the “Least Concern” category. “These [falcons] are of a smaller species and are used to capture larger falcons,” said Game Warden Mumtaz Soomro. An investigation is under way and the birds will be released in the wild as soon as possible.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2012.
Wildlife officials seized 20 Lesser Kestrels from the Empress Market in Saddar on Saturday. The falcons were confiscated in a crackdown against illegal wildlife dealers.
One owl and a monkey were also seized from the market. The Lesser Kestrel is widespread from Central Asia all the way up to China, and generally spends winters in Pakistan. In the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the falcon’s conservation status is classified in the “Least Concern” category. “These [falcons] are of a smaller species and are used to capture larger falcons,” said Game Warden Mumtaz Soomro. An investigation is under way and the birds will be released in the wild as soon as possible.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2012.