70 endangered falcons die in custody of Karachi Customs

KARACHI – At least 70 falcons detained by the Customs in a seaside metropolis died around four months ago while their bodies have been kept in the mortuary freezer as judicial property.

Around six dozen fast-flying birds, which were seized by an anti-smuggling branch of the customs department in 2021, have reportedly died in the custody.

Karachi Customs Deputy Commissioner told a local news outlet that the officials recovered 75 falcons and a case was lodged in 2021. He added that special arrangements were made under the care of the Falcon Association of Pakistan, but 70 of them have succumbed while only five are alive and are said to be in critical condition.

Customs officials also recovered the Houbara bustard during raids in DHA and Gizri areas, claiming to have foiled a bid to smuggle the birds abroad.

Experts suggest that the survival of these birds are low in a city like Karachi therefore, they should be relocated to a place with the suitable weather condition. Officials also claimed that British experts were called to save the endangered species after their health deteriorated.

The rare species were reportedly sold at an enormously high rate in the UAE and other Arab countries. According to an estimate, the price of dead flacons was around Rs210 million.

It also added that the falcons migrated to South Asian country from Siberia. Extreme weather in Siberia forces many species of birds to leave their home in search of moderate weather which they find in Pakistan and neighbouring countries.