IT is shameful to see people taking pride in killing animals. Last week, I saw some disgusting news items with pictures. A foreign national paid $100,000 dollars to kill our national animal — Markhor — in Gilgit Baltistan.

The authorities said that the money would be used on development of the region, but that is doubtful and does not justify the killing of the beautiful animal.

Another news report showed a senator with the ibex he had killed. A third was the picture of a 13-year-old boy posing with a hunted animal.

Every year, we see pictures of Arab sheikhs who come to hunt Houbara bustard and other rare birds. These wild creatures are part of our environment and are now getting extinct because of brutal hunting.

It is our duty to protect them and our environment.

Human beings are the highest of God’s creation. That means we should be kind to other creatures and not kill them for sport. Killing animals and birds is no bravery. We should be compassionate to our fellow creatures and teach the same to our children.

We must ban hunting as a sport.

Dr Yasmeen Kazi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2019