The Punjab Wildlife Department, on special directives of Wildlife and Fisheries Forest Secretary Shah Nawaz Badar, has constituted mobile teams to launch a campaign against poachers to discourage illegal hunting and preserve wildlife in the province. Official sources said on Sunday that poachers, irrespective of political or social standing, will be heavily penalised and FIRs will be registered against them. Badar said all deputies, assistant directors and other staff members had been directed to remain vigilant in this regard. “Over 50 check-posts have been set up in various hunting areas of the province and staff members have been deployed to keep watch,” he said. All guns, ammunition, vehicles and other hunting paraphernalia will be seized from poachers, he added. Sources said that special areas had been assigned for hunting during the hunting season only. Hunting at night and the netting of animals and birds had already been banned, Badar said.
Badar said the industrial revolution had caused large scale destruction of natural habitat and the eco-system. “Wildlife parks cum breeding centres play a central role in the preservation and captive breeding of indigenous and exotic wildlife species, besides providing enjoyable recreational facilities to the public,” he said.
