As devastating floods continue to wreak havoc across Punjab, displacing families and destroying farmlands, the rising waters have also posed a grave threat to wildlife habitats. Amid this crisis, the Punjab Wildlife Department has launched special emergency operations to save endangered animals.
According to Additional Director General of Punjab Wildlife Rangers, Syed Kamran Bukhari, timely interventions have already saved seven deer across multiple flood-hit districts. On August 26, a pair of deer was successfully rescued in Sialkot, while in Narowal, an injured and pregnant deer received urgent medical care. In Shakargarh, a young male deer was relocated to a safer location. Additional rescue efforts in Muridke, Wazirabad, and Mandi Bahauddin increased the total number of saved deer to seven.
To support these operations, the wildlife department has deployed ambulances, veterinary staff, and temporary camps to treat injured animals.
Speaking on the government’s commitment, Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb emphasized:
“The lives of animals are just as precious as human lives. It is both a moral and constitutional duty to ensure their safety.”
Experts, however, warn that while floods have already devastated homes, crops, and communities, they have also destroyed natural habitats, leaving animals vulnerable. Forest species and riverbank wildlife have lost shelter and food sources. Without ongoing rescue operations, animals like deer and other rare species could face long-term survival risks.
