Pakistan Wildlife Conservation News

Link: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\06\story_6-4-2009_pg12_9

SWD encounters taxidermy at its worst
Text and photos by Amar Guriro

KARACHI: The Sindh Wildlife Department team has recovered a huge consignment of stuffed animals, including monkeys, peacocks and hides of protected animals including lion, zebra and Indian otters from two different shops owned by two famous taxidermists during routine raids.

Both the taxidermists are famous amongst local hunters and whenever hunters manage to import hides from Africa, India and other countries, they would hand them to these two men for stuffing. The men have stuffed many rare and protected animals including zebras, lions and even leopards, just so they can be put up as showpieces in someone’s drawing room.

The seven-member team, headed by wildlife inspector Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, raided the said shops, which are located on Zaibunnisa Street, Saddar and recovered 82 stuffed animals which comprised of a dozen birds including peacocks, chokers, eagles, falcons and pelicans, about three dozen monkeys, hogs, deer, squirrels, jackals, mongooses, foxes, wild cats and fishing cats. During the raid, the team also recovered a large number of stuffed reptiles including snakes and other common reptiles.

Besides the stuffed animals, the team also found 31 hides of different protected animals including a zebra skin, a lion, dozens of otters, squirrels and other animals.

“Usually taxidermists convert these hides into jackets and bags, while in some cases they are also stuffed,” said Sindh Wildlife Conservator Hussain Bux Bhaagat.

Sources said that the hides discovered by the team belong to influential hunters including a federal minister who has recently started hunting and had sent two hides so that they could be stuffed. During the raid, the wildlife team also arrested the two offenders, Muhammad Javed son of Muhammad Arif, owner of shop no 75, and Muhammad Atif, son of Chaman, owner of shop no 76, while taking the hides and the stuffed animals into custody. A case was registered under the First Offense Report (FOR) no 419 and 491/3/2009 against both the arrested men, who were later released after fines of Rs 15, 000.

According to Sindh Wildlife Department officials, this is the first time that during a raid such a heavy consignment was taken into custody. For now, the officials have still not decided what to do with the recovered hides and stuffed animals. However, some officials revealed that plans are underway to establish a wildlife museum at the Free Mason Lodge, where the provincial office of the wildlife department is located and that these hides and animals will be put on display there.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\06\story_6-4-2009_pg12_9