U-Tuber is detained by Punjab Wildlife officials for selling birds illegally.

The virtual marketplace for partridge sales and purchases, purportedly operated by U-tuber Mazhar Iqbal, was disrupted by the Punjab Wildlife Department team under the leadership of D.G. Wildlife.

A spokesman for the wildlife department said that Mazhar Iqbal was taken into custody by wildlife inspectors. Iqbal was being sold eggs, chicks, and adult partridges online.

The accused Mazhar Iqbal was selling birds in Punjab and bringing partridges from Nawabshah in Sindh, according to a department spokeswoman.

An additional statement from the spokesperson stated that the raid-seized parrots would be relocated to Lahore Safari Park for appropriate rehabilitation.

A non-migratory bird that lives on the ground is the partridge. Afghanistan and Pakistan are other places where it is found. The species of this uncommon bird is in danger of going extinct because of Pakistan’s fast changing climate.

The rare black partridge has been adversely impacted by disruptions in the natural food chain.

A high-pitched chirping sound is the hallmark of the black partridge. Until quite recently, it was prevalent in forests and agricultural areas. But as a result of a steady decline in population, only sporadic sightings are now recorded in certain regions.

On their red list of threatened species, the IUCN has specifically rated the black partridge as vulnerable. In addition, habitat degradation, overhunting, and disruptions to the grey partridge’s natural food cycle make the species unsafe in the wild.

Only a few protected areas in Sindh, primarily the Nara Valley, Achhro Thar, and some barrage regions—where local chieftains have banned hunting and poaching—are considered secure places for partridges, according to officials.