Badin: Millions of wild birds, locally known as Murghabi, migrate towards Pakistani lakes from Russia, Siberia and other central Asian states as winters near.

The birds leaving their homeland and moving thousands of miles away for survival are, however, not safe here as influential people kill and trap these migratory birds from lakes of district Badin with the meat of the hunted birds sold openly in local meat markets.

Speaking to ARY News, the locals said:

“These birds come from Siberia, they are guests and they are already unique. They are being ruthlessly hunted for money. Government and its institutions are taking bribes from these people and letting this happen, in fact, they are supervising it. Government should take strict action against them and stop the extinction of these birds.”

Another local added:

“When winters come, birds from Siberia migrate to our land. Now what is happening is that there is no law. Gangs for extortion either allot licenses to the hunters, some get licenses allotted, the others, majority of the people do it without any license and they kill these birds and trade them. In my opinion these birds, they come to us to pass their time or as guests. We should be good hosts to them, not hunt them instead and make a law through which the hunting of these birds can be prohibited.”

Strict action by the government is the need of the hour to bring illegal poachers behind bars and save these birds from extinction.