ABBOTTABAD: The wildlife division’s quick response team apprehended six people over wildlife trafficking here on Monday.

Sources told Dawn that three residents of the Taxila area, including Shakeel Ahmad, Amir Rasheed and Ashar Ahsan, were held with two kilogrammes of pangolin scales at the Havelian Interchange of the motorway.

Pangolins, one of the world’s most trafficked mammals, are protected under the Wildlife and Biodiversity Act, 2015.

The team also apprehendedMohammad Osama, Bilal Ahmad and Hamza Irfan of Hassanabdal area after seizing four cranes, and booked them under the Wildlife and Biodiversity Act.

Officials told Dawn that the illegal wildlife trade not only threatened endangered species but also undermined the delicate balance of ecosystems and biodiversity conservation efforts.

They said such operations should continue to protect wildlife heritage and deter those engaged in those illegal activities.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024