MITHI, Nov 10: Servant falconers of a UAE dignitary have arrived here and established camps near different villages.

The ministry of foreign affairs issued a special hunting permit to the dignitary allowing him to hunt 200 houbara bustards in Thar desert for 10 days.

Information received by this reporter revealed that the royal Arab falconer would arrive here with a fleet of 80 to 100 vehicles, electric generators, tents and falcons. He is expected to hunt 10 to 15 birds in a day.

Zoological name of houbara is Chamydotis Undulata. It is a migratory bird found in South America, Africa and Asia. It is found in a good number in the habitats of Central Asia and Siberia, whereas from there it migrates to warmer regions of India, Afghanistan, Arabian Gulf and Pakistan.

A large number of these rare birds pass through the arid plains of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh that remain their habitat during winter.

Houbara has been declared as vulnerable in the Red Data Book of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Due to a looming threat of its extinction caused by its excessive, unchecked hunting and trapping, houbara bustard is protected by the United Nations Bonn convention on migratory species to ensure its survival.

Pakistan is a signatory to various international wildlife conservation treaties and has imposed a ban on the hunting of houbara bustard.Bird lovers and wildlife experts are of the opinion that the population of houbara bustard has alarmingly declined owing to human desire to hunt it, leaving it as one of the most endangered species on the earth.

The hunters like to eat the bird's meat not only for taste, but they also believe that it was good for sexual health.

It is said that a royal hunter spends between $10-$20 million at a typical hunt and a bird costs him $15,000.

Game watchers and influential waderas who help them in hunting are paid huge amount of money and costly gifts by the royal visitors' orderlies.