LAHORE: Pakistan Army and Houbara Foundation International Pakistan have jointly broadcasted seeds of desert plants over the Cholistan Desert.
Wildlife habitats are being degraded the world over because of wood-cutting by local communities and over-grazing by their livestock. Consequently, wild animals and birds are unable to find their favourite foods in sufficient quantities, resulting in their rapid decline and ecological imbalances.
In 1998, Houbara Foundation International Pakistan undertook to reinforce the diminishing vegetation through aerial broadcast of seeds of desert plants in the Cholistan Desert, which is the prime wintering habitat of the Houbara Bustard.
170 kg seeds of houbara’s favourite food plants have been broadcasted this year bringing the total seeds broadcast in the last 22 years to over 2,427 kg. Regular monitoring of the habitat shows encouraging results, and higher yields of germination are expected as the work goes on.
Recent intense rains in the Cholistan Desert will enable the seeds to germinate quickly and reinforce the vegetation.
