Wild Hunt

Saif-ur-Rehman Qureshi

Incessant shooting, netting and egg lifting of rare species have taken a heavy toll on the once abundant wildlife population of D. I. Khan

Dera Ismail Khan district situated on the west bank of the Indus river is bounded by Suleiman range on the west, Bhittani range on the north and Marwat range on the north-east. On its south-west, lies D.G. Khan division of Punjab.

D.I. Khan lies at a distance of 340km from provincial capital Peshawar and almost 350km from Islamabad. Mount Shaikh Budeen, 46km north of D.I. Khan, with an altitude of 4150 feet above sea level assumes an important place since its home to various invaluable species of flora and fauna. It was declared a national park by the wildlife department in 1993.

Equally important is the fact that D.I. Khan is an internationally recognised flyway -- Indus Flyway No. 4 -- of many rare migratory birds. D.I. Khan's location brings it into close proximity with three of Pakistan's nine Ramsar sites. (Convention on Wetlands Ramsar, Iran 1971 -- Thanedar Wala, Chashma Barrage, Taunsa Barrage).

Destructive hunting campaigns

Dera Ismail Khan's western flank of arid to semi-arid periphery of Daman and Indus River's hinterlands were once rich in wildlife species ranging from Dolphins in River Indus to Markhors and leopards in Shaikh Budeen. Indus river's biomes abounded in Hog Dear a couple of decades ago. But this species has diametrically vanished from the area of hundreds of square kilometers -- from Chashma Barrage to Ramak which is the last town of Dera Ismail Khan district. This was primarily because of ruthless hunting and lack of environmental awareness on part of hunters and locals alike.

The trend continues. People are bent upon exterminating what they find particularly cranes, houbara bustards, waterfowl and black/grey partridges.

Similarly, incessant shooting, netting and egg lifting of partridges have taken a heavy toll on the once abundant partridge population. The story begins with lifting eggs by shepherds who stroll around the area all day long. This rambling often ends up on a partridge nest (partridge is one of the ground nesting species) and all the eggs are mindlessly stolen to be taken home for artificial incubation often under a hen. Although some of these eggs do hatch out but most chicks die in unnatural, artificial conditions. Rest are taken to the city and sold for Rs. 100 or so. These chicks, however, seldom survive.

Eggs which escape the rampage of shepherds hatch out in the wilderness but danger of chicks being caught is still there... When the wandering shepherds come across a hen partridge with its newly born chicks, another hunting or capturing spree begins. The tiny, innocuous flock is mercilessly pursued to scare the mother away and get chicks exhausted since the weather is too hot and chicks are too young to make escape -- neither can these chicks fly nor run away. They are picked up with remarkable ease after a brief chase. Nothing can do more harm -- hunting and netting included -- to the partridge population than this nasty exercise of stealing eggs and chicks.

These chicks are often packed together in a turban cloth. More than half of the chicks packed up may be found dead when the knot is untied at the end of the day. Remainder is then sold in the market.

Next in turn are the chicks which have so far evaded the hunters' witch-hunt. The use of nets and guns comes into play now. Local people have evolved numerous techniques to catch partridges, cranes and bustards alive. Panjali is one such technique for at least partridges and bustards whereby birds are lured into a snare. The entire flock is entrapped virtually without investing a single penny.

But guns don't remain silent for long. Sport hunters (professionals) and others come into play here -- to capture mature partridges.

Local people in general and shepherds in particular -- without whose tip-off and consent the species cannot be spotted in the vast desert plains -- do the real damage. They guide the hunters and local influential Khans of a sizeable number of birds -- of bustards, partridges, sand grouses and green pigeons. This is more often than ever to oblige the bosses. As a result, bustards are among the endangered species and local partridge population has also been reduced to dangerous proportions.

Wildlife department stipulates shooting with a license that is specifically valid for a single hunting season -- which lasts for almost twelve months! But licenses assume little significance when the lines of a marked hunting season are blurred -- from egg lifting to netting to shooting, and the hunting season continues all year round. Priceless wildlife has been devastated to the point of extinction.

Other indigenous species such as wolves, foxes, jackals, rabbits and pigs face the same danger of being erased from the area if appropriate and timely measures are not taken. The region once abounded in these animals but there are few left now -- thanks to sport hunting.

Migratory birds

Significant among the migratory birds are houbara bustards, cranes, sandgrouses, plovers, sand pipes, godwits, stints, phalaropes, curlews, terns, penticoles, gulls, hawks, falcons and different species of waterfowl/coots. Houbara bustard is among the endangered species that faces the threat of extinction. D.I. Khan forms the gateway to this precious bird. Shooting of bustards is banned worldwide but not in Pakistan. Bustard stays in arid land of Daman and Indus biomes as well. There is in fact no regard for such an invaluable species.

Cranes frequent the area in their migration season. These flocks are found both in Daman areas as well as in riverine areas. But neither site is safe for them. Shooting and hunting continues all along the way. Until last year, the wildlife department issued permits but these permits were shamelessly abused. A permit allowed a single camp and a limited number of alluring cranes (called lawa in local language). But hunters did not confine to a single camp and installed as many as they wanted, and captured cranes far beyond the limit. Add to this guns. They instantly took recourse to shooting even with kalashnikovs the moment they sensed that cranes were not getting within the range of saya -- a device used for capturing cranes.

In the last couple of years there has been a considerable drop in the number of crane flocks passing over Dera Ismail Khan. This is not without reason. Shooting with automatic weapons and ruthless hunting have perhaps scared them away.

Bevies of sandgrouses used to visit the area in large numbers till some years ago in the migratory season. But such scenes are rare now. One could hardly find even small flocks in the entire area.

Ten species of ducks and many of coots are found in the lakes and wetlands of the Indus in the migration season. These birds fall prey to uncontrolled, ruthless shooting throughout the season that lasts for almost five months or more. The wildlife department has declared a long stretch -- from Mandra kalan to Ramak covering 100 sq. miles -- as game reserve area or protected area. But there is no tangible drop in illegal shooting.

Introduction of cassette players has revolutionized the catching of quails. Long-range speakers and amplifiers are used to attract birds at night. However, the use of amplifiers is completely banned and license for quail hunting is issued for lawa only.

But this gadgetry continues to be used. Long range speakers attract birds from every nook and corner of the desert -- to entrap then in ambient nets encircling the artificial lawa. 'Score' (catch) reaches as high as one hundred to two hundred birds in a single night of a single lawa. And this is a common sight in August to October when lawas are spotted every few kilometres.

Today one vertebrate species disappears every nine months. Add to that plants, microorganisms and invertebrates that disappear from the face of the earth and the rate of extinction is an alarming 40 to 100 species every day. Paul Ehlrich, ecologist and author of 'The Population Bomb' argues that "the human population has reached 5 billion by exploiting, degrading and depleting the earth's fossil fuels, minerals, soils, water and biological diversity. It is the loss of biological diversity that may prove the most serious".

Shaikh Budeen National Park

Shaikh Budeen has witnessed extinction of some of its marvelous species like Markhor and common leopard. The last leopard was shot down, according to a reliable source, as late as 1988. And a local hunter shot dead last surviving Markhor in 1984. The concerned agencies must ensure its reintroduction in the national park area.

Biological diversity of this area is faced with another formidable problem of pollution and habitat destruction. Sheikh Budeen area forms the soft underbelly of a gigantic cement plant that poses great threat to its ecosystem -- since large-scale excavation and emission of plumes of toxic smoke continues round the clock.

Official loopholes

The wildlife department gives license for keeping partridges as pets. Kept in narrow cages from the very first day, these licensed partridges are illegally picked up chicks from the jungle. They are sold to hunters because birds that mature in jungle can not help in shooting or hunting as they never come to terms with the life in cage and never able to dance to the tunes of the hunters. As a consequence, hunters tame the chicks to serve their purposes -- which is to call wild partridges in the jungle for hunting and netting. These chicks become mature and ready to do the job just after a year.

License issued in the name of revenue generation (a license for partridge is given for Rs.830) encourages not only egg lifting and illegal trade of poaching partridge chicks but legalises incarceration of chicks in narrow, nasty cages where chicks are destined to spend rest of their lives. Obviously, there is no dearth of regulations but resolve to enforce them effectively is missing.

Crane hunting is banned in the area. Till recently crane hunters used to get a license for waterfowl (ducks) shooting and erected camps -- to actually target cranes under the cover of duck shooting. However, a ban was imposed this year on this.

The irony is that the locals do not shoot cranes. Hunter from Bannu, Domale, or Lakki Marwat come to hunt for the species that are later loaded on to truck. This practice of carrying lawas in trucks remains unchecked, despite many checkpoints of police and wildlife department on the way in and out of D.I.Khan district. According to an official, "The hunters are not checked because they have access to influential officers."

A wildlife official said, "We are helpless. Bureaucrats and other influentials of the district call us to allow this illegal practice."

Hunting continues, despite the ban on amplifiers and irrespective of this being the migration season of quails (batairs). Concerned department officials defend it by saying that it is a source of revenue for the government for a license is issued for Rs.1500.

However, intervention by the conservators has helped improve the situation as far as crane hunting is concerned. Similar decisive, stringent measures are needed to protect other wildlife species and their habitats -- all the more since long drought has further imperiled the existence of resident wildlife in general and bustards in particular.

Conclusion

Any campaign is bound to fail unless it enjoys the support of the masses. Top-down approach has not worked nor even the bureaucratic, hierarchical style of working. To improve the situation, the local communities have to be taken into account -- seminars and hue and cry in airconditioned offices will not help.

Hunting is made possible only with the assistance of the locals. And any effort eliminating their role will prove futile. Also there is a need to introduce the model of community refuges that offers significant incentives in lieu of conservation.

Promotion and other benefits to the wildlife department officials should be linked to the protection and improvement of wildlife in their respective areas. Deputy rangers or watchers should start educating the target communities instead of relying on just chalan books. Department's staff in collaboration with local councilors and NGOs should organise and educate the masses. Its extremely hard to detect those who steal partridge eggs or chicks unless we penetrate and befriend the community. NGOs that are working in the areas must take responsibility of much talked about community mobilisation and advocacy.

The problem is multi-faceted and has to be dealt with accordingly. Situation calls for a radical departure from current nonchalant attitude towards destruction of wildlife on the part of the department, NGOs and people at large. It remains to be seen as to how we are going to address the issue.