Royal plunder!

Going on a hunting spree, a Saudi prince has reportedly poached over 2,100 internationally protected houbara bustards within a span of 21 days during his visit to Pakistan early this year.

A Pakistan-based news portal DAWN.com has reported that Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud during his hunting safari in Chagai, Balochistan also ‘indulged in illegal hunting in protected areas’.

The report quoting sources claimed from Jan 11 to Jan 31 prince hunted 1,977 birds, while other members of his entourage hunted an additional 123 birds, taking the total bustard toll to 2,100.

The royal plunder was reportedly chronicled in a report prepared by Jaffar Baloch, divisional forest officer of the Balochistan forest and wildlife department, Chagai at Dalbandin.

The report dated Feb 4, 2014 (No: 216-219 HB/CHI) says that during the 21-day safari the prince hunted the birds for 15 days in the reserved and protected areas, poached birds in other areas for six days and took rest for two days.

Photo: Discovery Channel

Giving a breakup of date-wise as well as area-wise details of the prince’s expedition, the report says that he hunted 112 houbara bustards in the Gut game sanctuary (Arbe pat), which is a reserved and protected area, on Jan 11, 2014.

The news portal said hunting of the internationally protected bird was banned in Pakistan, but the federal Government issued special permits to Gulf States’ royals.

Permits, which are person specific and could not be used by anyone else, allow the holders to hunt up to 100 houbara bustards in 10 days in the allocated area, excluding reserved and protected areas, the portal said.