GILGIT: The Hunza wildlife magistrate on Thursday awarded eight months imprisonment to a man for illegally hunting two Himalayan ibex cubs.

The Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife department had seized the carcasses of ibex cubs during the inspection of a vehicle at Ganish bridge on the Karakoram Highway in Hunza area, and arrested Rehmat Khan of Altit area.

When contacted, DFO Essa said the poacher hunted the ibex cubs in the surroundings of Attabad Lake before trying in vain to transport their carcasses to Gilgit.

He said the wildlife department with the help of police seized ibex carcasses and hunting gear. The DFO said eight months imprisonment was handed down to the poacher under the Wildlife Preservation Act, 1975.

Meanwhile, the personnel of Frontier Works Organisation have allegedly hunted three Himalayan ibexes in Dhee area of Khunjerab National Park in upper Hunza.

The Khunjerab Village Organisation has alleged that the FWO personnel killed ibexes after cordoning off the area, and took away the carcasses.

DFO Essa claimed there was evidence of illegal ibex hunting in Dhee area.

He said the community organisation and wildlife staff claimed to have enough evidence of the illegal hunting by the FWO personnel.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020