New Post has been published on The Rakyat Post
New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/world/2015/03/12/caught-illegally-hunting-rare-bird-species-qatari-princes-falcons-seized/
Caught illegally hunting rare bird species, Qatari prince's falcons seized
DERA ISMAIL KHAN (Pakistan), March 12, 2015:
Wildlife officials in Pakistan fined a Qatari prince and seized two of his prized hunting falcons after he was discovered illegally hunting a rare bird species, an official said on Thursday.
The confiscated falcons — which can be worth upwards of US$250,000 (RM918,820) each — were released into the wild this week, said Khan Malook, a district wildlife officer in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The prince, identified as Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, paid a fine of 80,000 rupees (RM2,940) before leaving the country, Malook said.
The Qatari was discovered hunting houbara bustards, listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in the area in mid-January, he said.
Pakistan has come under fire from conservationists for granting permits for hunting bustards to wealthy Gulf Arabs, for whom falconry is a revered cultural tradition.
The sheikh, however, had no permit for hunting, Malook said.
Representatives of the Qatari royal family could not be reached for comment on Thursday.