Crackdown launched in Pakistan against partridge’s illegal night hunting

ATTOCK:The Punjab Wildlife Department has intensified enforcement action in the district against illegal hunting particularly the prohibited night-time hunting of partridge, the official sources have said.

The operation was supervised by Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Attock, Shahzaib Khurshid who led a field team during night patrols in vulnerable hunting zones

During a recent operation, the team apprehended a man involved in illegal partridge hunting at night and a 12-bore shotgun used in the offence was seized.

 The accused was fined Rs110,000 while an additional Rs 40000 penalty was imposed for the illegal possession of a brown partridge bringing the total recovery to Rs150,000 as compensation

The sources stated that hunting partridge at night when the birds were resting in their natural habitat was a serious offence under wildlife laws and poses a significant threat to declining bird populations

The department has urged citizens to report any incidents of illegal hunting or related activities through the Wildlife Helpline 1107 Informants providing verified information will be rewarded Rs10,000 while their identities would be kept confidential.

Alongside enforcement actions, the wildlife teams conducted extensive field inspections including verification of hunting permits gun-dog licences prescribed bag limits and firearms

During these checks, 306 hunting permits were issued, 205 partridge permits were verified ,58 gun-dog licences were checked and 89 vehicles were searched

The Wildlife Department reiterated its commitment to protecting local biodiversity and ensuring strict enforcement of wildlife protection laws across the district.