DRAFT — Punjab Wildlife Department Books 20 for Illegal Hunting in Province-Wide Crackdown
- Suggested slug: punjab-illegal-hunting-crackdown-wildlife
- Category: National News
- Focus keyphrase: illegal hunting
- SEO title: Punjab Cracks Down on Illegal Hunting, Books 20
- Meta description: Punjab Wildlife Department booked 20 in a crackdown on illegal hunting Punjab, recovering a monkey and 16 wild birds; Rs.530,000 fines imposed.
- Tags: illegal hunting, Punjab wildlife, wildlife department, falcon trapping, Jallo Park, Lahore, conservation, Pakistan
- Original element: explainer context — connects the rescued monkey’s shift to Jallo Park with Feature Pakistan’s own Jallo Park Lahore guide, and frames the multi-district raids as part of the department’s ongoing enforcement push across cities and protected habitats.
- Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2038206 (Dawn, published 19 Oct 2026)
- Story date: 19 October 2026
- Image file: hourly-2132-punjab-illegal-hunting-crackdown-wildlife.webp
- Image title: illegal hunting Punjab wildlife crackdown
- Image alt: illegal hunting Punjab: wild goats on a rocky slope
- Image caption: Wild goats on a rocky slope in Punjab. Image: Dawn
- Image credit: Image: Dawn
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Illegal hunting Punjab: what the province-wide raids uncovered
The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department has booked 20 people for illegal hunting; Punjab’s rangers also recovered a monkey and 16 wild birds along with nets and hunting equipment. Eleven offenders were fined a total of Rs.530,000, while first information reports were registered against nine others. Details of the operation first appeared in Dawn’s report.
The 20 individuals were caught hunting illegally and keeping falcons, doves, quails, hares and wild boars in their possession. Rangers seized netting gear and hunting equipment during the raids and took the recovered birds into custody. The mix of on-the-spot fines and registered FIRs shows officers using both penalties at their disposal.
At the same time, the department made clear the action is part of its ongoing operations rather than a one-off exercise. Similar raids were conducted in Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Chakwal, Jhelum, Pakpattan and Okara, taking the enforcement drive well beyond the provincial capital. Protected habitats such as the Kala Chitta National Park and the Kheri Murat Reserve Forest form part of the province’s wider conservation network, and rangers patrol these areas year-round as part of the same push.
Monkey rescued from Faisal Town home, shifted to Jallo Park
In Lahore, wildlife rangers recovered a monkey allegedly kept illegally by an individual in Faisal Town. The animal was shifted to Jallo Park for care, and an FIR was registered against the suspect.
The Jallo Park move puts a familiar face on the rescue. The park is one of Lahore’s best-known wildlife facilities, and readers can explore it in our Jallo Park Lahore travel guide. Zoos and wildlife parks across the country give recovered animals a home after they are taken out of illegal custody, and our Karachi Safari Park travel guide looks at another major facility devoted to wildlife care.
Falcon trappers caught after days of surveillance
In Kasur, wildlife rangers caught a hunter illegally netting wild birds and fined him Rs.20,000.
Meanwhile, after several days of surveillance, rangers caught four hunters red-handed illegally trapping falcons. They recovered three kestrels, 11 pigeons and 17 trapping nets, including padam and dogaza nets. Officers also seized a gas cylinder, four mobile phones and a motorcycle from the suspects.
The case shows how organised the practice can be. Several days of surveillance, four trappers working together, fine nets of different types and a motorcycle for moving between trapping sites point to a planned operation rather than casual poaching.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were booked in the crackdown?
Twenty people were apprehended. Eleven were fined a total of Rs.530,000, and first information reports were registered against nine others.
What was recovered during the operation?
A monkey and 16 wild birds were recovered, and netting gear and hunting equipment were confiscated. In the falcon-trapping case, rangers recovered three kestrels, 11 pigeons and 17 trapping nets, along with a gas cylinder, four mobile phones and a motorcycle.
Which districts were covered in the operation?
The operations covered Lahore (Faisal Town), Kasur, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Chakwal, Jhelum, Pakpattan and Okara.
Where was the rescued monkey taken?
The monkey was shifted to Jallo Park in Lahore, and an FIR was registered against the person allegedly keeping it illegally.
