Five arrested as wildlife operations intensify across Punjab

The Punjab Wildlife Department has arrested five wildlife meat suppliers and smugglers from Lahore and several other cities of Punjab during a series of coordinated operations, officials said on Sunday.

According to wildlife authorities, raids were conducted in Lahore, Sahiwal, Vehari, and Bhakkar, leading to the recovery of a significant number of live and slaughtered wild animals and birds.

Seized items included 10 live partridges, dozens of live wild babblers, one owl, two live monkeys, 45 slaughtered wild babblers, and nearly a dozen slaughtered quails.

FIRs have been registered against the arrested suspects at the relevant police stations, and legal proceedings have been initiated under wildlife protection laws.

Officials said the live wild babblers and the owl were released back into their natural habitat, while the rescued monkeys were shifted to the Head Sulemanki Wildlife Park for proper care.

Five arrested as wildlife operations intensify across Punjab pic.twitter.com/WA0S9r36v6

— Manzoor Qadir (@Noorwaalay) January 18, 2026

The 10 live partridges will also be released into the wild after court approval.

In a separate operation, Lahore Wildlife Rangers, acting on a court-issued search warrant, raided a house on Ravi Road and recovered nearly a dozen slaughtered wild quails.

The suspect was taken into custody, and an FIR was registered at the local police station.