JAMMU, Oct 3: You can kill and take away a Tibetan antelope, ibex or a Himalayan thar by just paying Rs 100 plus the licence fee in Jammu and Kashmir as hunting of these endangered species, banned all over the country, continues to be a sport in this border State.What's more, its a `special game' or `big game' in case of hunting of animals and `small game' in respect of birds. And these games are permitted by none other than the State Government, which has not only fixed the shooting seasons but also the charges to enable the hunter to cart along what is euphemistically described as `trophies' (animal's body). Officials told The Indian Express that it would cost only Rs 200 should one decide to shoot a Himalayan brown bear and Rs 50 for a Tibetian wolf. The money is paid by the hunter to the Wild Life Department as `royalty' for the bird or the animal killed by him.Significantly, this cruelty towards animals and birds has been licenced by the State Government, which, according to sources, has framed rules for the purpose in exercise of the powers conferred by the Jammu and Kashmir Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1978. These rules provide for the issuance of various kinds of hunting licences to the people by the chief wildlife warden.An Indian citizen can shoot an Himalayan brown bear, serow or a wild yak by paying a licence fee of Rs 1,000 for the `special hunting'. If he succeeds in killing any of these animals, he has to pay a royalty of Rs 200 each to the Wildlife Department for the release of the `trophy'.The licence fee and royalty amount to be charged from a foreigner is, however, Rs 3,000 and Rs 500, respectively. The shooting season in respect to the Himalayan brown bear has been fixed by the State Government from May 15 to the end of October and for serow and wild yak from April 16 to October 15, sources added.Similarly, the shooting of Tibetian antelope, ibex and Tibetian wolf is a `big game' in the State. To participate in this big game, a licence can be obtained from the Wildlife Department by an Indian national subject to the payment of Rs 500 for the full season and Rs 300 for 60 days. However, the licence fee is Rs 1,500 for the full season and Rs 1,000 for 60 days in the case of a foreigner.Besides the Tibetian antelope and ibex, the royalty payable by an Indian citizen for release of the body of the killed Tibetian wolf is Rs 50 only. Sources said the big game also includes the hunting of barking deer, hog deer and wild pig subject to the payment of a subject to payment of a royalty of Rs 50 each.The other animals, whose hunting has been permitted by the Wildlife Department as part of this big game in the State, are bharal, samber, chital, Himalayan thar, neilsar and the Himalayan black beer.Sources said the shooting of birds in the State is, however, a `small game' for the Wildlife Department. The licence fee chargeable from an Indian citizen for the purpose is Rs 125 for the full season, Rs 100 for 60 days and Rs 75 for 15 days or less. It is, however, Rs 300 for full season, Rs 250 for 60 days and Rs 200 for 15 days in the case of a foreigner.Significantly, each hunter has the bag limit of 10 snipe, wood cock and sand grouse between September 1 to March 16 every year. However, he is charged Rs 5 in case of the killing of each extra bird over the prescribed bag limit.However, the bag limit for a hunter in respect to geese, ducks and teals is 20, chakore, partridges and jungle fowl (10), ram chakre and snow partridge (6), dove (15), hare (5) and pheasant (5). However, he has to pay Rs 50 in the case of each extra bird killed over the prescribed bag limit.The Wildlife Department officials, however, said they have not issued any licence for the special and big game in the State since 1989. However, they attributed the non-issuance of these licences to the ongoing militancy in Kashmir Valley.Though the Department discourages people intending to participate in big and small games, it cannot deny a licence to any person fulfilling all the requisite formalities, an official said.As such, it has proposed to the State Government to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act by incorporating provisions available in the central legislation which banned the hunting of wild animals and birds all over the country, he added.
