MALAKAND: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department on Saturday claimed to have recovered four wild animals, including a black bear and three monkeys, from a house situated in Batkhela.
Majid Khan, Malakand Range Officer of the KP Wildlife Department informed that the department’s officers raided a house in Batkhela area and recovered four wild animals. “The animals include: an eight-month-old black bear cub and three baby monkeys, just a few months old,” he explained, adding that the animals were kept in the house unlawfully.
The officers claimed one person was arrested during the raid and a case was registered against him under the province’s wildlife laws. Mr Khan added that the animals were kept for sale purpose.
The official further stated that the black bear was being shifted to the Peshawar Zoo while the monkeys would be moved to Malakand Wildlife Safari Park.
Under the law, the display and handling of wildlife in the name of awareness by any private person is barred in the province.
According to the Wildlife and Biodiversity (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management) Act, 2015 of the KP government, “All wild animals, free-ranging or captive, tamed or untamed, found within the territorial jurisdiction of the province shall be deemed to be the property of the government”. “No person shall be in possession of any wild animal or exotic, dead or alive, trophy or meat specified in Second Schedule unless he is in possession of a valid Certificate or Licence,” it notes.
In a similar incident last month, 14 monkeys were recovered from a Karachi-bound bus and were later handed over to the management of Karachi Zoological Garden.
