Punjab Wildlife Department Seizes 7,700 Dead Birds

The Punjab Wildlife Department conducted a major operation in Khanewal, seizing 7,702 dead wild birds being smuggled from Karachi to Okara.

The recovered birds included sparrows, mynas, bulbuls, ducks, and partridges, officials said, adding that efforts are underway to arrest the suspect.

The operation, based on secret information, was supervised by Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Multan Dr. Sajjad Hussain and Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Khanewal Munawar Hussain Najmi.

Officials set up a checkpoint and searched a passenger bus arriving from Karachi, recovering 4,304 sparrows, 3,200 mynas and bulbuls, 196 ducks, and two partridges.

The consignment was booked under the name of Rafiq, a resident of Okara, and legal proceedings have been initiated.

In a separate operation in Attock district, Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Shahzaib Khurshid and his team arrested three suspects for illegal hunting and possession of urial and partridges.

One individual was fined Rs150,000 for hunting partridges, while another faced legal action for circulating a video of urial hunting on social media.

The Punjab Wildlife Department emphasized that operations against illegal hunting and wildlife smuggling will continue to protect the region’s biodiversity.