KARACHI: The Pakistan Army and nongovernmental organisation Houbara Foundation International Pakistan (HFIP) dispersed seeds of arid zone plants over the Cholistan Desert through aircraft on Friday morning.

This is the annual programme being conducted jointly by the army and the HFIP, which works for the conservation of the wildlife particularly the houbara bustard for the past 19 years, a HFIP statement says.

This time over 90 kilograms of seeds of desert plants — Zizyphys nummularia (locally called Malah Berry), Fagonia cretica linn (Dharman) and Farestia jacquemonti (Lathia) — have been sprayed.

These plants are consumed by various wildlife species and are particularly favourite of migratory bird houbara bustard, which comes to spend its winter in arid zones of the country particularly the Cholistan Desert.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016