The Police in the Bhimber district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) reserved three villagers on Saturday to capture and kill a gray grin of the Himalayas, a rare and protected species, in a serious violation of the Wildlife Law of 2014.
Illegal hunting of protected animal species is a problem for wildlife conservation efforts. Previously, in January, three people, including two government employees, were arrested for illegally hunting the rare Suleiman Markhor in the Mountain Cordillera de Takato in Baluchistan.
The first information report (FIR) was presented at the Choki Police Station (Samahni) on Aamir Rafique’s complaint, a game observer, after the spooky act video clips became viral on social networks, confirmed Syeda Shaista Ali, an official of the Wildlife Department and Fisherman in Muzaffrabad.
“Today [Friday] At 11 pm, I found a video on the social networks that showed Hassan Sajid, Muhammad Nawaz and Muhammad Mushtaq, residents of Bandala Baghcha Village, capturing and killing a rare species of deer, “the FIR, recorded at 1:20 am, quoted Rafique as he said.
“I immediately hurried to the scene along with three colleagues, but the culprits had fled when we arrived. Now I am presenting this formal complaint for legal actions against them.”
Shaist Ali said the suspects had been reserved under section 10 (2) of the Wildlife Ajk Law, 2014, which prohibits hunting and murder of protected wildlife.
The Himalaya Goraral Goral (Naemorhedus Goral Bedfordi), a native species of the Himalayas region and is found in both Pakistan and India, appears as “almost threatened” in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Its population in decline is greatly attributed to the destruction of habitat, illegal hunting and competition with cattle.
The two clips shared with Dawn.com Show a man with a bright blue shalwar kameez and his companions performing acts of cruelty in the animal while crying throughout the test.
“This is an inhuman and criminal act that breaks our hearts,” Shaista said. “These people do not deserve clemency, and we are committed to bringing them to justice.”
At the beginning of the week, the Punjab Wildlife Department and the PSL Lahore Qalandars franchise signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to reinforce the conservation efforts of wildlife in the region.
The Mou’s firm ceremony was graceful for the presence of interested parties, including Cricket players from the franchise, who expressed their commitment to this noble cause. Among them was Sikandar Raza, a recognized Cricket player from Pakistani-Zimbabuense and the captain of the Zimbabwe national team, who delivered an inspiring speech that resonated with the audience, emphasizing the importance of the conservation of wildlife. The MOU will focus mainly on educational scope, community commitment and awareness efforts to support wildlife.
In June last year, a wildlife had also arrested five people involved in illegal hunt and confiscated four sacrificed Chinkara deer, two rifles and a four -by four vehicle.
