IWMB Catching Birds from Islamabad Markets

Buying and selling wild birds is illegal in Pakistan and you could be heavily fined if you get caught while in the act of doing bird business. For some people, it has become quite a business to just set traps for birds, catch them in a brutal fashion, and then sell in bulk in the markets of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. 

I also often encounter street hawkers selling poor, weak , hungry birds trapped in small cages. They go from door to door, shouting at the top of their voice, luring kids to buy  birds. They sell them very cheaply as its a free money for them. They don’t really care about the food or anything else about those birds. If the bird dies in their cage, they just throw it away on the way and move on as if nothing happened. The plight is quite dismal and conditions are very poor for the wildlife in Pakistan. 

IWMB staff catching captured birds from bazaars in Islamabad on almost a daily basis & setting them free. population of these Mynahs & house sparrows are declining in wild. Please report these activities & don’t buy caged birds from vendors. Let birds live without cages, as they have every right on this planet as we humans do. This should be the mantra of Pakistanis all across the country. Very few people have awareness about it in the country as they think that birds are just there and will always be there.

Already birds are dying due to pollution. Birds will either die or they will go away. My concern is that due to climate change and disruptions in the food chain due to rising levels in pollution will force several of these habitats to migrate to other parts of the world. We will be left with empty skies thick with smog and toxic air. Increase the green cover and plant more trees but more importantly curb the bird trade in Pakistan. Law should be enforced all over the place and authorities must follow it to the punch.

Pakistani avian species is precious like any other. It’s a gift of nature and we must protect it. We must protect our beautiful birds from this toxic air including carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), smoke, and heavy metals, as well as mixtures of urban and industrial emissions.