Chinese national arrested for hunting rare deer in Margalla Hills

ISLAMABAD: A team of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has arrested a Chinese national for allegedly illegally hunting wildlife in the Margalla Hills, officials said on Tuesday.

The suspect was taken into custody by an IWMB team during a late-night operation in the E-7 forest area, where officials said a rare deer had been illegally trapped and killed.

According to the IWMB, the operation was launched after reports emerged that a wild animal had been caught in a snare set in the forest a day earlier.

The IWMB deployed a covert monitoring team to the site, where officials later observed the Chinese national arriving at night, killing the trapped animal and packing it into a box, authorities said.

The suspect was arrested on the spot, the wildlife body said.

Officials said the individual allegedly resisted arrest and bit a wildlife officer during the operation, injuring him.

A case has been registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station under the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024, and further legal proceedings are under way.

The wildlife department has accused the suspect of hunting multiple wild animals, including a rare deer species, in violation of conservation laws.

The Margalla Hills National Park, located on the outskirts of Islamabad, is a protected area known for its biodiversity and wildlife conservation significance.