PTI leader demands probe into death of leopard at Peshawar Zoo

TANK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fata chief organiser Dost Mohammad Mehsud on Friday demanded probe into the death of snow leopard at the newly established Peshawar Zoo.

Talking to reporters here, he questioned the very logic of shifting the leopard from Ayubia National Park to the Peshawar Zoo.

It is pertinent to mention that this leopard was captured in 2009 in the vicinity of Abbottabad as a young cub of six months.

The PTI leader said that shifting the snow leopard to Peshawar where the weather conditions and lack of proper food and care caused its death.

He demanded the PTI-led provincial government to unveil a comprehensive wildlife policy in line with international standards to protect the rare species of wildlife.

Dost Mohammad said that at least 20 per cent of the total area of every tehsil be declared or given the status of a national park in the province for wildlife recreational facilities.

He said that wildlife should be separated from the control of forest ministry and designated as separate department. He said wildlife budget should be increased to ensure their optimum utilisation. “The wildlife staff should be equipped with modern gadgets to effectively pursue their objectives. New laws need to be unveiled to give policing power to the wildlife to deter the menace of poaching and hunting. There should ban on hunting of seasonal migratory birds,” said the PTI leader.

He said that all the mountain ranges above 5000 feet should be declared Buffer zones restricting construction of houses and banning hunting and chopping of trees.