Wildlife dept nabs five hunters, rescues as many falcons

KARACHI: A team of the Sindh Wildlife Department has rescued five laggar falcons from two different locations. Three of the birds have been released near the Indus River.

The team, acting on a tip-off, conducted a raid on Thursday near Aamri, an area of Sehwan Sharif in district Jamshoro. During the raid, they caught five hunters red-handed and rescued three laggar falcons as well as over a dozen pigeons.

The hunters were identified as Abdul Majeed, Shafqat Ali, Mohammad Asif, Ishaq and Bakhsho. They were fined Rs25,000 under the Sindh Wildlife Act. All the hunters hailed from Sheikhupura and Rajanpur in Punjab.

Deputy conservator Ghulam Muhammad Gaddani said that the hunters set up camps near the river belt each year. "They are very sharp and professional hunters," he said, adding that they use various techniques to chase the rare birds.

The laggar falcons, according to experts, were once quite common in the region but their population has declined recently.

On Friday morning, another team conducted a raid in Badin, near the Arabian Sea. Two laggar falcons were rescued. Officials claimed, however, that the culprits managed to escape before the team arrived at the spot.

"These groups are involved in the illegal hunting of various kinds of birds," explained Gaddani. He said that despite the ban and fine, these opportunists resume their activities after a certain time.

The price of a laggar falcoln in the local market is not more than Rs10,000.

These camps are set up before the arrival of migratory birds in the region. The migratory birds come to visit different areas of Sindh from October. The SWD officials have pledged that no one will be allowed to hunt illegally in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.