The sanctuary homes a number of endangered species and is also home to many migrating birds from Europe
Alarm has been raised as a second fire is blazing at the Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary in a mere three weeks’ time. As per a tweet from Hammad Naqi Khan, the Director-General and CEO of WWF Pakistan, the fire is a result of two groups fighting over government land. He urged the authorities to investigate and get to the bottom of the problem.
The sanctuary houses a number of endangered species hog deer, Indus dolphins, and many others. It also serves as a sanctuary for the immigrating Siberian Cranes and protects them from being hunted. Other birds that are protected by the sanctuary include Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans, etc.) and shorebirds such as Bar-headed Geese, Eurasian Spoonbills, Pallas’s Fish-eagles, Spotted Redshanks, Jerdon’s Babblers, and Sind Sparrows. Marbled Teals, an indigenous duck species, reportedly breeds in the wetlands.
It is imperative that the sanctuary’s land is protected and no one is allowed to illegally encroach it. Both Punjab and the federal government must ensure that action is taken in a timely manner to protect the flora and fauna of the area. This will help secure the future of many species that are going extinct.