KARACHI: The Sindh Wildlife Department rescued a rare bird from the illegal possession of poachers on Friday night from Keti Bandar near Thatta.
The department was informed about the Oriental darter bird by Save the Wild, a non-profit organisation which works to alert officials about poachers and illegal hunters, after a man posted a picture with the bird on his social media account.
The wildlife department contacted the police and the man’s location was traced. Eventually, a team was deployed to rescue the bird.
The bird has been shifted to the Haleji Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Thatta for rehabilitation and will be released in the wild after it recovers.
An Oriental darter is a waterbird with a long neck and pointed dagger-like bill. It feeds on small fish, amphibians and other small aquatic fauna.
The rare species is also known as a snake bird and is threatened in Pakistan. The darter was a frequent visitor at the lake, however, after 1995 there have been no reports or records of its arrival.
The illegal possession of this bird was declared & posted on social media by a local non hunter boy that was pointed out to Sindh Wildlife by @wildPakistan. In a prompt response Sindh Wildlife deputed its official Inspector Syed Ali Shah of Thatta for the recovery.1/3 pic.twitter.com/zajOu7AW4s
— SindhWildlife (@sindhwildlife) August 8, 2020
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