Where are the deer?

The care and management of the flora and fauna of Pakistan is both woefully inept in many instances or simply absent — as in they are neither cared for nor managed appropriately. Poaching is rife and the hunting rights for rare species are often sold to rich outsiders, particularly those hailing from the Arabian peninsula. The Houbara bustard, an endangered species, is hunted annually in Sindh on permits allowing up to 100 birds to each holder — despite their hunting being declared illegal by the government in 1972. Other species such as snow leopards have been more successfully protected, but the overall picture of nature conservation in Pakistan is dismal.

The most recent example of conservation gone badly wrong concerns the Laal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur. About 280 out of 320 deer donated to the sanctuary by a Gulf royal have mysteriously vanished. This is a lot of large animals to go missing and nobody seems to know why or how they came to no longer be in the park. The Laal Suhanra is already under-resourced and under-staffed, and nameless officials are quoted as saying that there were only eight or 10 watchmen to cover an enclosure of eight square kilometers. There is speculation that some of the animals have been sold for as much as Rs20,000 apiece, that some have been illegally hunted, others given away as gifts by corrupt park officials wanting to please influential friends. Former assistant directors of wildlife are under investigation for theft but no investigation is going to restore the missing deer, now gone forever. The investigation is being conducted by some of those suspected of misconduct, so expect no positive outcome. The Laal Suhanra is a popular tourist spot during the winter season with both domestic and foreign visitors. Depleting its animal inhabitants reduces its attraction and thus reduces its ability to generate income for local people who service the struggling tourist trade. A reality far from the minds of those who spirited away these valuable animals.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2013.

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