March 19, 2007	Monday	Safar 29, 1428

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BAHAWALPUR, March 18: Wildlife-lovers and public circles have opposed the shifting of black bucks from the Lal Sohanra National Park to Toba Tokenwala in Rahim Yar Khan.

The shifting of the rare specie has been opposed after the reports that Toba Tokenwala is not fit for the breeding of black bucks.

Last year, 69 black bucks shifted from Lal Sohanra to Toba Tokenwala in the Cholistan desert died there. An official on the condition of anonymity confirmed that all bucks had died in Toba and senior officials of the department also knew about the calamities but no action has been taken against any official.

Lal Sohanra District Forest Officer Mr Dogar declined to confirm the mortalities in Tokenwala.

Wildlife-lovers condemned the apathy of the department and demanded that a probe be initiated into the case and officials responsible be punished for the national loss.

They demanded the breeding results of black bucks in the enclosure of the Lal Sohanra National Park be compiled.

Up to 39 black bucks have been shifted to the Rahim Yar Khan desert and the department plans to shift 200 black bucks there, which include 150 males and 50 females.

Zoologists said the rare creature could not survive in an unnatural atmosphere of Toba Tokanwala, where sand dunes of high altitude, shortage of drinking water and trees minimised the chances of bucks’ survival.

The Lal Sohanra Park offered natural habitat for black bucks, they said.

Zoologists also criticised The Wildlife Department’s trophy hunting programme and called it disastrous for animals. The programme has been launched to provide recreation facilities to foreign dignitaries for fixed licence fees. Under this programme every licence-holder can shoot black bucks with numbered shots. Hunters, however, rarely follow the rule and shot fires as many as they want.