Balakot police rescue black bear cub from smugglers

Balakot: The Balakot police on Tuesday rescued a black bear cub that was being smuggled in a car from Kaghan Valley to Peshawar. Four people were arrested during the operation.

According to SHO Sadaqat Nisar, police received a tip-off and stopped a suspicious vehicle at the Balakot forest checkpost. During the search, they found a black bear cub wrapped in a cloth. The four suspects—Khan Mohammad, Javed Khan, Zubair Ali, and Shakeel Javed—were taken into custody.

A case was registered, and the cub was later handed over to the wildlife department, which released it at the Dodial pheasantry. One of the accused paid a fine of Rs210,000, after which all four were released by the department.

Officials said wild animals, including bears, often come down from their natural habitat in the Kaghan Valley’s alpine forests to populated areas. Smuggling of such animals is banned under Pakistan’s Biodiversity Act, 2015, as black bears are an endangered species.

The police and wildlife authorities have warned that strict action will continue against those involved in illegal wildlife trade.