Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has said that the population of Markhor in wildlife reserves of Chitral has crossed 2,000 where highest hunting bid up till now have been recorded at 95,000 dollars and a total of nine million dollars have been made available for socio-economic uplift oriented activities of the respective communities.
Talking during a briefing on maintenance of Tanda, Kotal, Tagh Mangah, Manglot and Cherat wildlife parks, he stressed the need for their further developing and opening for school children to promote awareness and realisation about protection of the species. Secretary to Governor, Abid Majeed was also present on this occasion besides Provincial Secretary Environment Syed Said Badshah Bukhari and other senior officials of the department.
The governor stressed the need to raise awareness amongst masses to preserve and promote nature with special focus on wildlife besides further streamlining the ongoing efforts for ensuring best ever working of the government's sponsored wildlife parks, hunting game reserves and national parks. The governor said that all wildlife parks were situated along the same belt, jointly shared by Kohat and Nowshera.
He said hunting needed to be practised as a sport rather killing birds and animals and "we need to promote the spirit of 'loving' birds. In fact, we also need to involve even school children in this connection and develop the habit to protect and promote wildlife especially birds as their regular hobby."
Sponsorship of declamation contests and essay writing habit amongst students was the good practice which also needed to be further encouraged, he said. Meanwhile Wildlife Chief Conservator Mubarik Ali Shah, while briefing the Governor about working of the department, also highlighted salient features of the development programmes for promotion of wildlife in the province. He said about 14 percent area of the entire province was protected from wildlife point of view wherein six national and seven wildlife parks; three wildlife sanctuaries, 38 public game reserves; 105 community-oriented private game reserves and two wildlife refugees were being maintained.