Hunted with impunity: Survival becomes a challenge for cranes as they return home
The number of migratory birds in the region has dwindled over time.
“At least 2,000 to 3,000 birds are captured or killed by hunters in December and March.”
WANA:
Gone are the days when Siberian migratory birds would herald the arrival of spring. Over the years, survival has become a challenge for cranes and they are seldom seen flying through Wana Valley on their way out of the subcontinent in March.
Since 1968, the number of cranes migrating to the region has dwindled with time as little has been done to preserve their natural habitat and protect them from poachers.
More often than not, residents of Wana are overwhelmed by nostalgia and frequently reminisce about the good old days when both children and adults would be fascinated by the cranes. They have taken their preoccupation with the bird a notch higher. In order to preserve this fragment of the past, residents make it a point to sing a famous Pashto tappa–inspired from the migratory patterns of cranes–at wedding ceremonies across South Waziristan:
However, no matter how hard the locals try, they cannot stop hunters who flock to the region during the crane season and continue to hunt the birds with reckless abandon.
Hunting season
A large number of hunting camps are seen along the banks of the Zhob River near Zar Milan in Toi Khulla tehsil. Every night, crane hunters wait silently in their camps to capture the birds. Once the cranes have been captured, they are confined in cages.
“They use a 30 metre rope tied with an iron weight to capture the birds,” says Ehsanullah Wazir, head of Waziristan Nature Conservation Organization.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, he drew attention to the cruel manner in which birds are captured, sold or killed. “At least 2,000 to 3,000 birds are captured or killed by hunters in December and March,” he adds.
Fortunately, Wazir is not the only one who is concerned. A local jirga has repeatedly urged the government to adopt a firm stance against illegal hunting.
In February 2013, jirga leaders distributed pamphlets and pressed the government to stop crane hunters. However, such initiatives have been prompted by the instinct of self-preservation rather than the need to protect the migratory birds from the threat of extinction. Wana attracts hunters from all over the world. Under the Frontier Crimes Regulation, local tribes are held responsible if hunters are kidnapped for ransom. As a result, the safety of cranes has been brushed under the carpet.
No reprieve
Residents of South Waziristan were once strongly opposed to hunting the migratory bird. Be it mere superstition or a disguised fear for the bird’s wellbeing, they believed misfortune would befall the entire region if the cranes were harmed in any way. However, with the changing times, this myth has steadily lost ground. People who once protected the bird have been lured into selling and killing them with the promise of hefty profits.
“Hunters do not kill the birds,” Atlas Khan, a crane hunter, told The Express Tribune. “We simply cut their wings off. They eventually grow back.” According to Khan, a large number of cranes who escape tend to return back to their captors.
Last year, the government released Rs2.5 million to protect wildlife. However, it has done little more than putting up signboards to discourage people from hunting in South Waziristan. With hunters reluctant to bid farewell to arms, fears of the migratory birds’ survival will continue to loom large.
(WRITING BY IFTIKHAR FIRDOUS)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2015.
Gone are the days when Siberian migratory birds would herald the arrival of spring. Over the years, survival has become a challenge for cranes and they are seldom seen flying through Wana Valley on their way out of the subcontinent in March.
Since 1968, the number of cranes migrating to the region has dwindled with time as little has been done to preserve their natural habitat and protect them from poachers.
More often than not, residents of Wana are overwhelmed by nostalgia and frequently reminisce about the good old days when both children and adults would be fascinated by the cranes. They have taken their preoccupation with the bird a notch higher. In order to preserve this fragment of the past, residents make it a point to sing a famous Pashto tappa–inspired from the migratory patterns of cranes–at wedding ceremonies across South Waziristan:
However, no matter how hard the locals try, they cannot stop hunters who flock to the region during the crane season and continue to hunt the birds with reckless abandon.
Hunting season
A large number of hunting camps are seen along the banks of the Zhob River near Zar Milan in Toi Khulla tehsil. Every night, crane hunters wait silently in their camps to capture the birds. Once the cranes have been captured, they are confined in cages.
“They use a 30 metre rope tied with an iron weight to capture the birds,” says Ehsanullah Wazir, head of Waziristan Nature Conservation Organization.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, he drew attention to the cruel manner in which birds are captured, sold or killed. “At least 2,000 to 3,000 birds are captured or killed by hunters in December and March,” he adds.
Fortunately, Wazir is not the only one who is concerned. A local jirga has repeatedly urged the government to adopt a firm stance against illegal hunting.
In February 2013, jirga leaders distributed pamphlets and pressed the government to stop crane hunters. However, such initiatives have been prompted by the instinct of self-preservation rather than the need to protect the migratory birds from the threat of extinction. Wana attracts hunters from all over the world. Under the Frontier Crimes Regulation, local tribes are held responsible if hunters are kidnapped for ransom. As a result, the safety of cranes has been brushed under the carpet.
No reprieve
Residents of South Waziristan were once strongly opposed to hunting the migratory bird. Be it mere superstition or a disguised fear for the bird’s wellbeing, they believed misfortune would befall the entire region if the cranes were harmed in any way. However, with the changing times, this myth has steadily lost ground. People who once protected the bird have been lured into selling and killing them with the promise of hefty profits.
“Hunters do not kill the birds,” Atlas Khan, a crane hunter, told The Express Tribune. “We simply cut their wings off. They eventually grow back.” According to Khan, a large number of cranes who escape tend to return back to their captors.
Last year, the government released Rs2.5 million to protect wildlife. However, it has done little more than putting up signboards to discourage people from hunting in South Waziristan. With hunters reluctant to bid farewell to arms, fears of the migratory birds’ survival will continue to loom large.
(WRITING BY IFTIKHAR FIRDOUS)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2015.