Poachers Walk Free, Wildlife Pays Price

News Desk

Islamabad: Wildlife crime, including illegal hunting, often yields more profit compared to legal hunting. In advanced countries, crime scene evidence plays a crucial role in proving these crimes.

However, in Pakistan, wildlife departments primarily rely on apprehending poachers through the recovery of weapons and confiscated wildlife. Unfortunately, this approach falls short in court, as poachers often get acquitted due to insufficient crime scene evidence.

To address this issue, Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF)  has organized a “training of master trainers on the disruption of poaching and wildlife crime scene investigation training.”

At least 10 officials from the wildlife department of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, WWF-Pakistan, and Snow Leopard Foundation have completed the three-day training.

Brian Petrar, a seasoned wildlife law enforcement professional from Canada leads the training.

During the closing and certificates distribution ceremony Conservator Wildlife Samar Hussain Khan from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination said that the Wildlife Guards/Watchers play an indispensable role in safeguarding wildlife at the grassroots level.

In collaboration with local communities, their efforts are vital to securing the future of our wildlife. To be effective, these field staff require not only motivation but also appropriate knowledge, skills, equipment, and gear.

They truly deserve recognition for their commendable efforts to combat the poaching of wildlife species, an issue that, until now, has been addressed only on a limited scale.

Samar Khan commended the Snow Leopard Foundation, Provincial Wildlife Departments, and stakeholders on the successful completion of the first phase of training.

He extended best wishes for the upcoming second phase and encouraged trainees to join efforts in conserving biodiversity, including snow leopards, for a brighter future.

Brian Petrar said that “I am pleased with the progress in building the capacities of participants through effective training in supporting law enforcement crime scene investigation.

This training will bolster the conservation efforts of the government and organizations like the Snow Leopard Foundation. It will enable us to protect wildlife more effectively and provide scientific evidence in courts to prosecute poachers and wrongdoers.”

SLF Director Ali Nawaz emphasized the necessity of equipping field staff with essential skills for effective wildlife protection. Nawaz acknowledged the significance of collaboration between the government, communities, and organizations like SLF to address wildlife crime challenges.