KOHAT: The wildlife department officials and local hunters’ association released grey and black partridges in the designated game reserves here on Wednesday to mark the World Wildlife Day.

The partridges were released during a ceremony attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa conservator Mohammad Niaz, district forest officer Abdul Samad Wazir, president of hunters’ association Dr Syed Hashim Bokhari and others, according to a statement issued here.

The birds were released in Talkan, Togh Mangara, Jabar and Ustarzai game reserves as part of efforts to strengthen biodiversity and restore local ecosystems, wildlife officials said.

Speaking at the event, Mr Niaz said the World Wildlife Day served as a reminder of their collective responsibility to safeguard wild species and their habitats.

He added that surveillance mechanisms in game reserves were being improved to curb illegal hunting and maintain ecological balance. The conservator said the event was aimed at improved breeding in the natural habitat to prevent various species from getting extinct due to climate change.

On the occasion, Mr Wazir said public awareness campaigns were launched from time to time to discourage the illegal hunting and foster licensed birds and animals keeping.

He urged the relevant officials to curb illegal cutting of trees in the forests of Orakzai and Kurram districts.

He recalled that there were several instances when leopards crossed into Darra Adamkhel from adjacent Orakzai jungles and killed cattle and sheep of farmers. He said recently a wood collector killed a cheetah in Darra forests when it tried to attack his children.

The district forest officer also said a man had brought two cheetah cubs to his home, but they were saved due to timey information provided by a person from the area. The cubs were sent to the DI Khan nursery.

Meanwhile, Ustarzai game reserve officials Syed Qamar Mujtaba and Ali Haider were awarded certificates of appreciation and cash prizes for exemplary performance during the shooting season. Authorities said strict enforcement of regulations and transparent management practices had helped enhance both wildlife protection and departmental credibility.

The ceremony concluded with a renewed pledge to continue conservation programmes and biodiversity initiatives across the province.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2026