LAHORE: In a major move against wildlife trade, the wildlife department, under the leadership of its Director General Mudassar Riaz Malik, conducted a combing operation at Tollinton Market as a part of a larger crackdown on illegal traders on directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb with the support of the district administration and police. The operation, ordered by the Lahore High Court, targeted the vendors selling birds without licences. The wildlife officers successfully seized hundreds of rare birds, including parrots, gravel parrots, pheasants and peacocks. Six shopkeepers involved in the illicit trade were arrested. The rare species of birds rescued included 13 African grey parrots, six Pineapple Kannur Parrot, four sun conures, 96 finches, 22 doves, 38 java finches, 152 lovebirds, six cocktail parrots, 40 Australian parrots, two rose-ringed parakeets, three yellow ringneck parakeets, two Kannur parrots, two rosella parrots, two white cocktail parrots, 13 red eye albino parakeets, seven yellow lovebirds, 10 pied dove, four fancy doves and 13 peafowl chicks. Wildlife department took swift action against culprits involved in illicit trade of wildlife species, handing challan to six shops while three shops were sealed. Wildlife DG Mudassar Riaz Malik told Dawn that 13 African grey parrots were also recovered from there. He said the operation, conducted on the directions of the chief minister, was against the illegal wildlife trade. He confirmed that the birds would be released into their natural habitat following the court approval. He also pointed out that 471 poachers and illegal traders had already been fined as a part of the ongoing efforts to combat wildlife crime in Punjab. This operation reinforced the government’s resolve to preserve the province’s wildlife and clamp down on illegal activities harming biodiversity, he added.