SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The wildlife department has foiled an attempt to smuggle 78 demoiselle cranes in Lower South Waziristan tribal district.

“The cranes were seized at the Sikandar checkpost on the Wana-Gomal Zam Road,” sub-divisional wildlife officer (SDWO) Ilyas Khan said.

He told Dawn on Sunday that the seized cranes would be transferred to divisional office, Dera Ismail Khan. He said demoiselle cranes were a distinct type among various crane species.

He said Said Rehman, a hunter from Bannu, was arrested on Saturday when he was caught transporting 78 demoiselle cranes in a single-cabin vehicle from Gul Kutch area to Wana-Gomal Zam Road.

SDWO Ilyas Khan said Lower South Waziristan had rich biodiversity and was considered a paradise for migratory birds. He said South Waziristan’s Wana subdivision was located on the internationally recognised Indus Flyway of migratory birds, and thousands of migratory birds passed over this area twice a year during their long journeys from Central Asia to the subcontinent and vice versa.

He said the biodiversity’s protection, preservation, conservation, and sustainable management was the prime responsibility of the South Waziristan’s wildlife department.

Every year, these cranes migrate from their habitats in Indian Rajasthan and coastal areas of Sindh to Siberia and Central Asian Republics via Zhob, Dera, Bannu, South Waziristan and Kurram districts. They fly in flocks of up to 400 individuals, reaching altitudes of 16,000-26,000 feet.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2024