RAHIM YAR KHAN: Wildlife officials rescued a vulture in Rukanpur village near Khanpur, Punjab, after it was captured by locals who found it grounded, and had been trying to tend to the bird as it was unable to fly or feed, before alerting the authorities for proper rehabilitation.
Videos showed a large crowd of excited villagers gathered around the scavenger bird, likely a Eurasian griffon vulture, filming it after it reportedly fell to the ground, separated from its flock.
In one of the videos, a villager mentioned that they had taken good care of the vulture after capturing it a day earlier and even attempted to feed it meat.
He added that the vulture was neither able to fly nor would it eat anything.
The villager mentioned that he had fulfilled his responsibility by saving the vulture’s life and notifying officials from the wildlife department to nurse it back to health.
Another video showed officials from the provincial wildlife department rescuing the vulture from the village. A wildlife officer told the media that they would care for the bird until it regained its strength and could return to its natural habitat.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has declared oriental white-backed and long-billed vultures critically endangered, compelling the international community to take steps to ensure that the species goes extinct in Pakistan, which is home to eight species of vultures.
In September, wildlife guards rescued an injured leopard from a water channel in the Haveli area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At the time of the leopard's rescue, the animal was unable to stand or move its hind legs, despite showing no visible external wounds or bleeding, prompting the team to suspect severe internal injuries.
Lacking specialised equipment like a dart gun, the rescue team resorted to traditional methods, using a rope around the leopard's neck to safely secure it in a net and transport it to safety.
The predator was later handed over to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board's (IWMB) rescue centre for treatment. An X-ray report revealed four bullet wounds in the leopard's body, confirming the team's initial concerns.
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