KARACHI: 15 permits for trapping migratory birds issued
By Bhagwandas
KARACHI, Nov 3: Approximately 15 falcon trapping permits, each costing Rs20,000 have been issued by the Sindh Wildlife Department and the permit holders can trap two superior species falcons – peregrine, saker, etc - on each permit, it is learnt reliably.
According to the sources, though trapping of falcons – peregrine, saker etc – which are migratory bird species, is banned under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Act, limited number of trapping permits are issued so that sufficient number of predators are trapped which then are sold to the visiting Arab sheikhs who come to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard here during the winters annually.
Earlier, the falcon trapping was done at a smaller scale, but after the Arab sheikhs started to come to the country to hunt houbara bustard; whose meat sheikhs believe has aphrodisiac qualities; the falcon trapping has become a big business. Some time back a peregrine is said to have fetched Rs5 million.
They said that the number of falcon trapping permits being issued is going down as almost double the number of falcon trapping permits were issued last year. The lesser number of permits than the last year does not mean that falcon trapping has gone down, but it probably is owing to the sympathetic attitude of the wildlife’s — bureaucratic as well as political — bosses.
They said that last year just two permits were issued for the trapping of lesser falcon species such as laggar etc, but this year not a single trapping permit to trap lesser falcon species has been issued. A permit holder can trap up to 60 lesser species falcons on a permit which also costs Rs20,000. These falcons are caught from the arid and desert areas of the province.
The sources said that every year thousands of lesser species falcons like laggar etc were trapped by the permit holders as well as the poachers. These falcons are not costly and could hardly fetch between Rs1,000 and Rs5,000 each. These falcons are purchased by the other falcon trappers, who use these to catch the superior falcon species like peregrine, saker etc.
The trappers after clipping the wings and sewing the eyelashes of the lesser species falcons – laggar etc – tie some injured and bleeding bird with their claws. A large number of small traps are also attached with the bleeding bird and the claws of the laggar. After doing this the trappers wait for a superior species falcon – peregrine, saker etc – to come in the vicinity.
When the peregrine, saker etc is spotted flying high in the sky, the trappers, who are hiding in the bushes throw the wing-clipped and eyelashes-sewed laggar, which also has bleeding bird and small traps tied to its claws, up in the air so that the superior species falcon peregrine, sacker etc see the prey and could be lured in to attacking it.
When the superior species falcons — peregrine, saker, etc – flying high in the sky spot the lesser species falcon, laggar etc taking an injured and bleeding bird in its claws, they attack the laggar in the air to snatch the bleeding bird. As the laggar’s eyelashes are sewed, wings are clipped and it has a bleeding bird tied to its claws, it can not fly away to freedom or could not even gradually descend to the ground.
When the peregrine, saker etc attack the laggar etc to snatch the bleeding bird, they get entangled in the numerous small traps that are attached with the bleeding bird and the claws of laggar, and all three birds fall on the ground. The trappers, hiding in the nearby bushes immediately come out in the open and put a cloth on the birds so that falcons, particularly the superior species falcon – peregrine, saker etc, could not see and attack them. After which the falcons are hooded.
The peregrine falcon is caught near the coastal areas and the trapping camps could be seen in the districts of Thatta, Badin, Karachi, while the saker is trapped in the mountainous regions and trapping camps could be witnessed in the districts of Thatta, Dadu, etc.
It is not necessary that peregrine or saker should spot the laggar and the bird on the first attempt of throwing in the air, or if they are not hungry then also they would not attack the laggar. Since the laggar’s wings are clipped, its eyelashes are sewed and some weight — a bleeding bird, traps etc — is also attached to its claws, so the laggar after the throw in the air falls back hard on the ground.
The laggar, which gets injured on the first fall, could not survive more than a few falls, and eventually dies. The sources said that between 50 and 100 laggars were used as bait to get a peregrine, sacker etc.
