Islamabad: Concerned over the frequent entry
of wild boars into the high security official residence of the
Pakistan president, authorities here have declared an all out
war against the intruder.
The boars were freely entering Asif Ali Zardari's
residence despite foolproof security arrangements, including
fencing and other preventive measures, an unnamed official
said.
The boars enter the presidency from the Margalla Hills
National Park located behind it. The animals enter the grounds
mostly through "nullahs and manholes", the official was quoted
as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
"Conventional methods" are used to kill the boars, whose
population is "growing with every passing day", he said.
Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) too
said they were taking steps to restrict the movement of the
boars within the presidency, which is spread over 471 acres,
half of it covered by trees and bushes that provide a safe
hideout for the fast breeding animals.
CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the boars were being
killed by feeding them wheat grains dipped in poison. This, he
said, was the "best way to kill them".
The CDA also issues free hunting licences for wild boars,
Sajid said.
Another official said the boars breed at a "very fast
pace" and their population in jungles close to the presidency
may be in the hundreds. The biggest problem is limiting the
movement of the boars into the highly protected presidency, he
said.
The official insisted that the wild boars were a problem
for the whole of Islamabad. Boars are a common sight in some
parts of the city, especially those located at the foothills
of the Margallas, at night and can be seen searching for food
in large groups.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 19, 2012, 00:45