Raising for Release
Raising and Releasing Partridges
in Suri Malanderi Community Game Reserve and Jalil Dara in Sudham Public Game Reserve, District Mardan
Text & Photos: Muhammad Ayaz Khan
With a mandate to replenish population of grey partridges, the Mardan wildlife division of the NWFP
Wildlife Department successfully released fifty grey partridges in Suri Malanderi community game reserve (Rustam) and in Jalil
valley
of Sudham public game reserve on 27th of February 2009 (Friday). Mr.
Yaqoob Khan, member of Suri Malanderi community organization, Ayaz Khan, Asad Lodhi, and Sajjad Ali, and local officials of
the NWFP Wildlife Department and people from the local community were present on the occasion. The birds were released at
the advent of their breeding season to give them an opportunity to multiply in the game reserves for getting sustainable socio-economic
and ecological benefits to the local people.
The community-based sport hunting of partridges contributes significantly to the conservation of
wildlife resources and socio-economic uplift of the local people in the rural areas of District Mardan. The NWFP Wildlife
Department paved the way for involvement of local people in the management of wildlife resource in the Province by framing
“Private Game Reserves Rules” in 1993. The
NWFP Wildlife Department promoted joint management of wildlife by sharing benefits and responsibilities with the local people. The incentives such as empowerment over wildlife resources,
80% share of shooting permit fee, and issuance of shooting permit played a proactive role in seeking support of local people
for the conservation of wildlife. Resultantly, the people came up by getting their private and community areas declared as
private and community game reserves in different areas of Mardan division. Currently there are a total of 14 game reserves
including 13 community/private game reserves.
The NWFP Wildlife Department undertook several initiatives to help the local people improve their
private and community game reserves. One such example is helping local communities in propagation of partridges for subsequent
release in other areas of the district Mardan. Mr. Ayub Khan, Nazim of Bazar Union Council and president of Suri Malanderi
community organization started partridges breeding program with the help of NWFP Wildlife Department at Rustam. The partridge
breeding program showed success and it happened for the first time in the Province that the birds released in the wild were
not captured from other areas but raised in a breeding center.
Mr. Ayub Khan is thankful to NWFP Wildlife department for providing financial and technical support
in captive breeding of gray partridge, black partridge, chukar partridge, and see partridge for subsequent release in other
areas in district Mardan. The Chief Conservator, Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Malik, pioneer and founder of wildlife management and
wildlife department in the Province, mentioned that the NWFP Wildlife Department is committed to help the local people in
the conservation and management of wildlife. The NWFP Wildlife Department is keen to initiate further programs of wildlife
conservation in District Mardan for socio-economic benefits of local people and integrity of wildlife. According to him the
survival of mankind lies in peace with nature and people should join the NWFP Wildlife Department to get benefits of natural
resources without inducing a negative impact on them.
