HYDERABAD: Wildlife officials arrested seven persons and seized meat and trophies of three ibexes which were hunted illegally in the Khirthar National Park — a protected area — the other day.

The meat belonged to four animals while the wildlife staff seized three trophies as according to the suspects they had lost one while running to avoid arrests. The staff produced meat before a civil court which ordered them to provide it to crocodiles in some zoo. Since the meat had become decomposed, the staff under directive of officers dumped it somewhere in the soil.

The arrests and seizure was confirmed by Hyderabad wildlife department deputy director Wajid Shaikh to Dawn. A case has been registered against the suspects.

According to his information, five ibexes were hunted in the Kamboh Hill area within the Khirthar National Park on Wednesday.

Wildlife conservator Javed Mahar said that a separate case against the suspects for possessing illegal weapons was being lodged at the police station concerned.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2019