Chitral: How did the wolf and the eagle die?
Gul Hammad Farooqi
Chitral, March 25: A number of wild animals, including a wolf, an “Eagle” and several other carnivores, have reportedly died in the Mastuj area of Chitral during the last couple of weeks.
The locals are blaming the death of these animals on the poisoned cadavers of stray dogs, killed by the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Mastuj.
Syed Muzaffar Hussain, a local para-glider and a social worker hailing from Booni, told this scribe told that TMA Mastuj Booni killed stray dogs by giving them poison. He said that after killing of these dogs they left them uncovered in a pasture located in teh Qaqlasht area, instead of burying them properly. He said that poisoned cadavers were eaten by a number of carnivores which led them to their death.
Some residents of Booni also accused the TMA of polluting the river courser by dumping the bodies of the stray dogs in river and streams.
Assistant Commissioner Sub Division Mastuj Minhasuddin refused to comment on the situation on being contacted. Inayatullah from TMA said that in the past they used to bury the stray dogs and that he was unaware if some dogs had been left in the open.
Asadullah Khan of Reshun a social worker showed some feathers and bodies of precious Eagles that he said had died after hunting other birds that fed on the poisoned cadavers.
Divisional Forest Officer wild life Imtiaz Hussain Lal was contacted in this regard he expressed his great sorrow and anger on this act of TMA causing for killing of innocent wild life and precious birds.
Zaheerud Din Babar general secretary of Chitral Para-glider association said that they use the Qaqlasht ground for paragliding activities but the TMA has polluted it by dumping dead dogs in the open.
Besides it a large number of local people use this ground for grazing their goats and live stock and dead bodies of positions dogs also harmful for these cattle.
