Pakistan Wildlife Conservation News

Link: http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2010-weekly/nos-21-11-2010/enc.htm#1

Trap and trade
Recovered Siberian falcons fight for survival at the Lahore Zoo

By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed

In a major move, the Punjab wildlife department recovered 53 Siberian falcons from possession of a man ?— Mazhar Ali Shah — at Islamabad airport last month. The man, who claimed the cache belonged to an Arab dignitary, could not provide any certificate in this respect and was taken into custody.

On the other hand, wildlife officials say the falcons were being smuggled out of the country to Doha, Qatar. Their assertion is that since 2005, the Pakistan government has imposed a total ban on trapping and trade of falcons. These birds, they say, have been declared endangered and protected under several international conventions.

The situation right now is that the Lahore High Court is hearing the case and has ordered movement of the birds to the Lahore Zoo. The selection of the place was made on request of wildlife officials who said that the Lahore Zoo offered best facilities and habitat to keep the falcons. However, several falcons died during the movement to Lahore and there is fear that more deaths could occur in the absence of required facilities.

The main concern of conservationists is that these birds of prey should not become prey themselves before they are allowed to soar into high skies as they used to.

A Lahore Zoo staffer who does not want to be named says the falcons are kept at a well guarded place and none of them (the zoo staff) is allowed to even move in that direction. Nobody can see them as excessive exposure can cause infections to them. He says the veterinary doctors employed at the zoo are not adept in treating these Siberian falcons, some of which cost as much as Rs 4 million in the international market. The official tells TNS that WWF, IUCN, Falcon Foundation Pakistan and Wildlife department are collectively looking after the birds.

He says the cache mainly comprises two species of Churrig falcons and Saker falcons which migrate to Pakistan from Siberia every winter and spend the season in Cholistan region. "I am not sure why the wildlife officials requested the court to move them here. I think it was mainly the extra space we have that prompted them to do that," he adds.

Brigadier (retd) Mukhtar Ahmed, former WWF president and currently president of Falcon Foundation Pakistan tells TNS the foundation is taking care of the falcons kept at the Lahore Zoo. He says some falcons died because they were birds of wilderness and it was very difficult for them to survive the stress of captivity. "If a bird is born in captivity it can survive it, otherwise not." Besides, he says, there is lack of capacity among the zoo staff which has no experience of dealing with this species.

Ahmed says the foundation has deputed a doctor to look after the falcons. "This doctor, Dr Basharat, is a Pakistani who has been trained at Falcon Hospital, UAE," he adds. He says the foundation has also imported feed for the birds from its own funds.

He tells TNS the person from whose captivity these falcons were recovered has given contradictory statements in the court. "This man says the lot belongs to an Arab dignitary but has failed to provide any documentary evidence," Ahmed adds.

Mukhtar Ahmed is of the opinion that the falcons should be released immediately in the open instead of being kept in captivity. His point is that Pakistan being a signatory to an international convention on protection of falcons must not take any step which is harmful to them. Ahmed tells TNS they have put microchips into these falcons’ bodies and put rings around their necks to make their smuggling impossible.

He says the government must clamp down on this illegal trade which is likely to flourish through land and sea routes as well. He tells TNS there have been reports that people smuggle falcons from China, Uzbekistan etc. via land routes to Pakistan and then try to reach the gulf region on boats and launches etc.

Hussain Bukhsh, Conservator, Wildlife Sindh tells TNS that he was present in Islamabad when the said cache of illegally trapped falcons was confiscated by Punjab Wildlife Department. He says a similar consignment was captured in Islamabad last year as well. "The reason is it has become very difficult to smuggle them from Karachi and Lahore whereas arrangements are comparatively lax at Islamabad airport."

Bukhsh says these falcons have to move to warmer lands as their natural habitat is totally covered with snow during this time and temperature there falls to alarming levels. "These birds of prey stay here till February-March and return to their lands after that."

While here they are trapped illegally by poachers who try to make a fortune by selling them in the black market or smuggling them out. He says there are different ways to trap a Siberian falcon but what poachers mostly do is that they make locally available falcons called laggars fly with some dead animal tied to its claws. The bait is attached to a long string with its end in the hands of the poacher. As soon as the falcon sees a laggar flying with prey it attacks it in mid-air and snatches the catch, he says adding: "In this process the targeted falcon gets entangled in the string and gets trapped."

Bukhsh tells TNS that poachers used to sell falcons to dignitaries from the Gulf region who came here to hunt houbara bustards. However, he says, it is not a lucrative business nowadays as the dignitaries are required to bring their own falcons and return with them after the hunting season. "Every incoming falcon is issued a passport and administered a microchip in its body so that it cannot be swapped with another on return," Bukhsh adds.

"The said consignment was intercepted for the reason that its occupant could not prove these falcons had come from abroad and were being re-exported," he says.

Dr Asif Rafiq, a veterinary doctor from Lahore, tells TNS that falcons are highly prone to influenza and may not survive in unfriendly conditions. He recalls that some years back a person put Siberian falcons in leather bags, with holes in them for air passage, and tried to hand-carry them on flights to the Gulf. "These falcons died due to suffocation and lack of local expertise to treat this highly sensitive species."

When contacted by TNS, Raja Javed, Deputy Director Wildlife, Rawalpindi region says they cannot say much about the falcons issue as the matter is still in the court. "The next date of hearing is in the last week of November after which things will become clear."

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