"The houbara bustard is a rare bird found in northern Africa and the Middle East. Each Spring the bustards migrate through Pakistan where for many decades Arab dignitaries and royalty have traveled to hunt them. The birds’ meat is highly sought after as an aphrodisiac. Although bustards are internationally protected Pakistani officials have been known to grant “special” permits to wealthy hunters. Conservationists say the bustards’ population is declining by as much as 29% every year largely because of poaching.
In January, 2014 Prince Fahd bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia went on safari in Pakistan. He and his hunting party were given permits to kill as many as 100 bustards in designated areas. But apparently that wasn’t enough for the Prince. A forest officer in Pakistan claims the Prince’s hunting party poached more than 2,100 bustards and traveled to protected areas including wildlife reserves to do so.
Although this represents an especially terrible violation of the law, permitting certain wealthy hunters to poach bustards has greatly contributed to the species’ decline. The birds face extinction if action is not taken to protect them. Call on the government of Pakistan to stop issuing hunting permits for endangered houbara bustards."
