KOHAT, Nov 22: Illegal hunting of the migratory birds, arriving from Siberia, is in full swing in most southern districts of the NWFP despite the ban enforced by the wildlife department.

The business of catching falcons through hawks for smuggling abroad has also picked up in the deserts of Bannu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan. Dozens of smugglers have camped in the barren areas as the birds born in summer  have started flying towards the land.

The cranes and ducks have come in a very small number as compared to what it was 10 years ago due to wild shooting by inexperienced hunters.

The number of these birds has decreased because they were hunted for eating and caught for sale in Rawlapindi, Lahore and the famous market in Bannu.

The first lot of about 45 cranes caught in Bannu a fortnight ago was sold in the birds market, held on Tuesdays, at Rs1,200 to Rs1,400 per pair.

When the season is over, the prices go as high as Rs3,000 per pair in Bannu and Rs5,000 in other areas of the country.

The cranes are smuggled in crates with their legs, wings and peaks tied so that they do not harm the carrier and remain hidden from the wildlife department’s staff. In many cases the cranes reach their destination with their legs, which are long and delicate, broken.

Such birds, which demand more care, are abandoned in the wild as no one is ready to buy and treat them.

A large number of Siberian cranes are injured during hunting. As the hunting takes place during the night, the trapped birds which cannot be spotted in the dark, die due to choking.

Every year, 1,500 cranes are caught in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, whereas the ducks are mostly killed for eating.

The markets are full of captured cranes these days.