CHITRAL, June 30: Wildlife experts have attributed the fast depletion of wood pigeon in Chitral to disturbance of its ecology caused by over-harvesting of Chilghuza pine in the recent years owing to its high price in the market.

“The bird mainly migrates from Central Asian regions bordering Chitral when Chilghuza pine is ripe that is known as its favourite food,” Altaf Ali, a biodiversity specialist, told Dawn.

He said that wood pigeon, locally called agagh, had a high population density in the region of Hindukush belt. He was of the view that the demand for Chilghuza in the market at high rate over the years had indirectly led to the depletion of pigeon population.

Mr Ali said that the bird (wood pigeon) would indicate maturing of Chilghuza to the local people. “The grains of Chilghuza leave the cone only when it is ripe and the bird picks them from the cone,” he said and added that the harvesters now used unnatural and unscientific methods.

Mr Ali said that people didn’t wait for ripening of the grains but chopped down the cones and burnt it in ditches to separate the grains from it and in the process it destroyed the twigs of the trees. “It takes almost four to six years for a tree to recuperate,” he added.

He said that wild walnut was another favourite food of wood pigeon that was also harvested before time denying the bird its food.

The price of walnut has also jacked during the past few years and the farmers harvest it well before it is ripe for selling to the traders, who throng the valleys for purchasing the commodity.

Mr Ali said that illegal and ruthless hunting of the bird was another cause for its depletion.

He, however, said that in Chitral Gol National Park, the species could be seen in limited number where some restrictions were imposed by the wildlife department on harvesting of Chilghuza pine nuts and hunting of the bird.

“The total exhaustion of the bird will divest Chitral of one of the most beautiful birds,” he said and suggested that the environment department should take steps to rehabilitate its ecology and put a ban on its hunting.