Khurram feeds leftover bread to kites, as a type of charity to convey good luck and chase away adversity, alongside Ravi Bridge in Lahore. Reuters
Shabnam, a young lady within the jap metropolis of Lahore, sells small packets of scrap meat to passersby to feed predatory birds, regardless of a recent crackdown on the apply which many individuals do as an providing to chase away adversity.
The custom of tossing choices off a bridge – that are swooped up by hawks and kites – has lengthy supplied a supply of livelihood for a whole lot of roadside distributors in bustling Pakistani cities akin to Lahore and Karachi.
The apply has lengthy been banned however continues in Lahore and different components of the nation of 240 million.
Shabnam, who solely gave her first identify, instructed reporters she has been promoting the packets for a yr to help her younger siblings. She sells every packet for Rs20 ($0.07), and makes round Rs500 a day. She retains 40% and offers the remaining to a person who has employed her as a vendor.
Kite birds fly as they’re fed with meat alongside Ravi Bridge in Lahore. File / Reuters
Dil Muhammad stated, for 10 years, he has employed at the least six women as distributors alongside a small part of a bridge in Lahore. He stated he buys the meat, which consists of waste scraps, from native markets and distributes it amongst his hires.
Amir, a rickshaw driver, stated he repeatedly buys packets to “preserve his life protected” as he’s on the highway all day and fears entering into accidents in Lahore’s heavy visitors. He tosses the meat off the bridge and watches birds swoop all the way down to catch it earlier than it hits the water beneath.
Wildlife officers say the fixed feeding of predatory birds has made them extra aggressive in direction of people and their rising quantity has additionally adversely affected the inhabitants of different chook species on whom they prey.
“This constant meals supply not solely sustains present populations but additionally attracts extra birds to the world,” Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal, a senior supervisor at WWF Pakistan, stated.
“Additionally, the disposal of meat scraps results in well being hazards for each, birds and people, because it attracts pests and might unfold illness.”
The enhance within the variety of kites resulting from readily available meals can also be a hindrance to airport operations.
“Kites have been posing a hazard to the taking off or touchdown of flights round Lahore Airport,” Saifullah Khan, a spokesperson of the civil aviation authority, instructed reporters.
He added that the aviation authority in collaboration with the district administration has carried out a number of operations towards those that feed birds on the rooftops of their properties across the airport.
Reuters
