Thousands of Bahri falcons sold to wealthy Arabs for use in hunting, wildlife officials say 

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's national poet Allama Iqbal frequently referred to the Shaheen falcon in his poetry -- clearly in awe of the bird as it glided through the skies.

However, the Shaheen, also called the Bahri falcon, is fast disappearing from the country’s skies due to the illegal trade with the Middle East.

The bird, declared endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, hails from northern Europe and the Russian Arctic but migrates to warmer countries such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh during the winter.

Bahri, which means “of the ocean” in Arabic, refers to the bird's natural habitat near lakes and coastal areas.

The birds are sold to wealthy Arabs who train them for falconry -- a centuries-old art of hunting wild prey with trained falcons and hawks.

Humaira Aisha, an official at the Karachi chapter of the World Wildlife Fund told Anadolu Agency that the illegal trade had seen the bird’s population dwindle.

The female falcon -- stronger and bigger than the male -- is the prime choice for buyers, Aisha said. An ordinary bird is sold for 500,000 to 1 million Pakistani rupees ($4,745 to $9,490).

Tahir Quershi, an official at International Union for Conservation of Nature in Karachi said a stronger female bird could fetch up to 5 million rupees ($47,450).

In southern Sindh province, where the birds flock to warm lakes and coasts, Mumtaz Soomro, an official with the wildlife department, confirmed the bird’s population had declined over the past decade.

“We have seized dozens of Bahris in recent months during raids in different parts of the province as part of the government’s campaign aimed at protecting the endangered bird,” Soomro told Anadolu Agency.