APROPOS the letter above (Dec 6). I have been a keen bird watcher for the past few years. I and many enthusiasts who share my passion, have discussed the issue and we have come to the conclusion that this so-called Sadqa is a crime committed by poachers without any check.

This is yet another cause of wildlife destruction that is going on openly under the noses of the authorities.

At many traffic intersections in any big city in the country, one comes across mendicants with birds in temporary cages demanding money from passersby to set them free.

It is the people that are paying to set these birds free that encourage this mafia which is a sordid chain including poachers, sellers and officials who tolerate them. The birds in confinement are so frail due to lack of food and restrained environment that most die anyway when they are set free.

This is an appeal to the wildlife department and the city authorities to take notice and put an immediate stop to this animal cruelty.

To do our bit, we bird watchers should educate locals of the areas that we frequently visit about this cruelty. In some cases, people have begun to restrict poachers from operating in their neighbourhoods.

Mirza Naim Beg

Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2018