BAHAWALPUR: The Houbara Foundation on Tuesday released 150 bustards for breeding in the Cholistan desert.

According to foundation’s office-bearers, the bustards were brought from Abu Dhabi for the purpose.

In a press release, the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), Abu Dhabi, and the Houbara Foundation International Pakistan released 150 captive bustards in Cholistan. As many as 1,450 bustards have been released during the past few years — 600 were released in March 2015, 200 in February 2016 and 500 in March 2017.

These birds are from the bloodline of Pakistan’s resident species and were released to reinforce the current population in the wild.

The IFHC claimed that a recent report revealed a revolutionary success in the breeding programme by producing more than 59,000 bustards across their breeding centres; releasing thousands of captive-bred birds to help sustain existing wild populations; and expanding the number of countries, including Pakistan, where the birds were released.

The Foundation said that having been under highly specialised care, the birds were brought to Pakistan and then well prepared to manage themselves in the wild.

All the birds were individually tagged with identification rings, while selected birds were also tagged with satellite transmitters for scientists to carry out monitoring of the birds after release and record their movements, habitat preferences and ability to breed.Before being moved from Abu Dhabi to Pakistan by air, the birds were closely examined and certified fit.

The local cooperation was provided by the Houbara Foundation and the Punjab Wildlife Department for receiving the birds and their scientific release under CITES Export and Import Permits along with necessary NOC which had already been exchanged between the two establishments in Abu Dhabi and Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018