MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): A rare wild goat kid was successfully rescued from the local shepherd in the Hillan game reserve in Bagh district and has been shifted to a breeding center.
According to the AJK Wildlife Department, the rescued animal, only four months old, was transferred to Patikka Breeding Center Zoo in Muzaffarabad to be paired with an existing male goat.
Syed Imtiaz Shirazi, head watcher of Hillan game reserve, rescued the goat from the local Bakarwal.
The four-month-old goat was officially handed over to the zoo staff by Secretary Wildlife Fisheries Tahir Mehmood Mirza.
The Wildlife Department emphasizes the importance of protecting this endangered species, listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
According to the Wildlife Department Act 2024, killing, capturing, or smuggling this animal can result in six months of imprisonment and a fine of two hundred thousand rupees.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Wildlife Fisheries Mirza said that those who help the department in wildlife conservation at the community level are highly encouraged and their services are also appreciated at the government level.
He further said that the department is continuing awareness campaigns along with public participation for the conservation and promotion of wildlife, so that the state’s wildlife gets better breeding opportunities in its natural environment, and illegal hunting can be prevented.
