The Great Indian Bustard carcasses’ pic with Pak men are going viral raising strong outrage on social media raising a demand for right action to be taken against accused which includes ex-Armymen of Pakistan!

Save the Wild, an organisation dedicated for the cause of saving wild life in Pakistan, in their tweets have publicly accused ex-Major Tanveer Shah of hunting innocent birds and animals including the Great Indian Bustard in Cholistan Protected Area.

In their tweet, it said, “Tanveer Shah has been hunting innocent birds and animals in Cholistan Protected Area /Cholistan Game Reserve for the last 30 years. Among these rare birds is the Great Indian Bustard which are on the verge of extinction and as per reports less then 100 birds are left in the World.”

The organisation is trying up to raise the issue strongly and its members have urged Gen Qamar Javed Bawaja to initiate action against the ex Major found as main culprit in the case.  

Great Indian Bustard carcasses seen in the picture

EBNW carries the pictures of eight persons in the group photo in its feature image. Three of them are holding guns. They are displaying two carcasses of Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) in their hands, spreading wings of birds to demonstrate their span and height. Their vehicle is parked at one side across a vast grassland habitat. 

 What does it mean to them? Poaching for the pot.  The photo is of a group of gun toting people in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert. They bagged two birds and had courage to arrange photo sessions and run away with the bag. Poaching of this species is not permitted. It was declared ‘endangered’ in 1994 by IUCN and was upgraded to status of ‘critically endangered’ in 2100. 

One of the persons in the group photo has been identified as retired major Tanveer Hussain Shah of Pakistan army. He belongs to a village in Rahimyar Khan district. Reports stated that he and his men hauled up forest guards and others who tried to stop them poaching  and threatened them of dire consequences. 

 Great Indian Bustard in Great Thar Desert

Cholistan desert is part of the Great Thar Desert. It faces regions North of Bikaner in India. Similar habitat, so same species share it. Is it that the birds shot down there had migrated from India’s Desert? If so, what India did to react to such blatant poaching? 

Great Indian Bustard total global number 

The Great Indian Bustard species total global number is less than 200. About 80% of it resides in India and its 90% is located in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. Supported by Abu Dhabi based Houbara Breeding Centre, the Indian Government succeeded in ex situ breeding of this bird in its Desert national park during 2019-20. Sixteen chicks are in hand as testimony of the success, first such in world for the species. It is hailed as a great success for the Forest authorities of Rajasthan. Dr. Y.V. Jhala and Dr. Suthirtha Datta of Wildlife Institute of India have been leading this project funded by ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi.

Great Indian Bustard: India saves it, Pakistan kills it!

While India is trying to conserve the species, the neighbour is nullifying conservation initiatives. Pakistan has a long history of such cases. As Save the Wild organization tries to take up the issue, Indians await the right action to be taken by the country leaders in this perspective.