THE
(Act II of 1974)
C O N T E N T S
Section Heading
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Appointment of officers and officials.
4. [Omitted].
5. Constitution of the Board.
6. Functioning of the Board.
7. Fund.
8. Returns and statements.
9. Restriction of hunting.
10. Prohibition to employ hawk, falcon or dog without special licence.
10-A. Cruelty to animal prohibited.
10-B. Captivity of a wild animal.
11. Animals found dead or killed or caught unlawfully.
12. Certificate of lawful possession.
13. Restriction on transfer of animals, trophies or meat.
14. Restriction on import and export of animals, trophies or meat.
15. Restriction on dealings in animals, trophies or meat.
16. [Repealed]
16-A. Wildlife breeding farm.
17. [Repealed]
18. [Repealed]
18-A. Wildlife park, zoological garden or zoo and safari park.
19. [Repealed]
20. Private safari parks, private wildlife parks, private wildlife breeding farms and circus.
21. Penalties.
22. Abetment of an offence.
22-A. Whistle-blower disclosure.
22-B. Reward and punishment.
22-C. Protection of whistle-blower.
22-D. Incentive and compensation.
23. Killing or capturing in self-defence.
24. Onus of proof.
25. Power to search without warrant.
26. Power to seizure.
27. Procedure as to perishable property
seized under section 26.
28. Duty to produce permit on demand made by any officer or person authorised in this behalf.
29. Duty of coupe purchaser, chowkidar,
village watchman, etc.
30. Procedure when offender not known or cannot be found.
30-A. Establishment of Wildlife Protection Centers.
30-B. Powers and functions of incharge of Wildlife Protection Center.
30-C. Maintenance of record at Wildlife Protection Center.
30-D. Chief Wildlife Ranger.
30-E. Powers and functions of an officer.
30-F. Investigating Officer.
30-G. Procedure to be followed after arrest.
30-H. Cognizance and trial of offences.
30-I. Submission of report.
31. [Omitted].
32. [Omitted]
33. Power to prevent commission of offence.
34. [Omitted]
35. [Omitted]
36. [Omitted]
37. Prosecution of offences under any other law.
38. Power to compound offence.
39. Government may invest officer with certain powers.
40. Officers, etc. to be public servants.
41. Protection of action taken under this Act.
42. Duty of police officer.
43. Delegation of powers.
44. Power to grant exemption.
44-A. Power of sale or exchange.
44-B. Hunting of wild animals.
45. Power to add to or exclude from Schedules.
46. Power to make rules.
47. Dissolution of the Board.
48. Repeal and validation.
49. Repeal of
Schedules
[1]THE
(Act
II of 1974)
[
An Act to provide for the protection, preservation, conservation and
management of wildlife in the Province of the
Preamble. WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the protection,
preservation, conservation and management of wildlife in the Province of the
It is hereby enacted as follows:-
1. Short title, extent and commencement. (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 1974.
(2) It
extends to the whole of the Province of the
(3) It shall come into force at once and shall be
deemed to have taken effect on and from the day the Punjab Ordinances Temporary
Enactment Act, 1973 (Punjab Act No. VI of 1973), in so far as it enacted the
provisions of the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) Ordinance, 1972 (Ordinance No. XXI of 1972), expired.
(4) Nothing hereinafter provided shall be deemed to
authorise any person to hunt in the reserved or
protected forests as constituted and declared under the provisions of the
Forest Act, 1927 (Act XVI of 1927).
2. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say
(a) Board means the Punjab [2][Protected Areas and] Wildlife Management Board constituted under section 5;
[3][(ab) captive animal means a wild animal as reflected in First Schedule, Second Schedule and Fourth Schedule and is in captivity under a licence as provided in section 10-B;]
(b) certificate, licence, special licence,
permit or special permit means respectively a certificate, a licence, a
special licence, a permit or a special permit granted or issued under this Act;
[4][(ba) Chief
Wildlife Ranger means the Chief Wildlife Ranger as provided in section
30-D of this Act;]
[5][(bb) circus means a collection of wild animal declared as such under section 20;]
[6][(bc) Code means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898);
(bd) Court means a Special Court notified under section 30-I of this Act;
(be) cruelty to animal means depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, or veterinary care or an act of torturing, maiming, displaying, poisoning, killing or arranging fighting between animals or birds save as otherwise provided under this Act;]
(c) dealer, when used in relation to wild
animals, trophies or meat, shall mean any person who, in the course of trade or
business carried on by him whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person,
(i) sells, purchases or barters any wild animal,
its meat or trophy;
(ii) cuts, carves, polishes, preserves, cleans, mounts or otherwise prepares any such animal, trophy or meat, or manufactures any article therefrom;
[7][(cc) endemic means wildlife species native to
[8][(ccc) exotic means wildlife species not native
to
[9][(cccc) First Information Report means a written document formulated by an authorized Wildlife Ranger on receipt of a report or information oral or written from a Wildlife Ranger or any person about the commission of a cognizable offence punishable under this Act or Punjab Protected Areas Act, 2020 (XXIII of 2020);]
[10][(d) game animal means a wild animal specified in the First or the Fourth Schedule;]
(e) game reserve means any area declared as such under section 18;
(f) Government
means the Government of the
(g) hunt means any act directed immediately to
the killing or capturing of a wild animal and shall include taking the nest or
egg of a wild animal;
[11][(ga) Investigating Officer means such Wildlife Ranger appointed by the Chief Wildlife Ranger to investigate the case registered with the Wildlife Protection Center under this Act;]
(h) meat means the fat, blood, flesh or any eatable part of wild animal, whether fresh or preserved;
(i) national park means an area declared as such under section 17;
(j) offence means an offence punishable under this Act or any rule made thereunder;
[12][(ja) offender means a person who has committed or against whom there is a reasonable belief or suspicion that he has committed a violation or offence under this Act or Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020);]
[13][(k) officer means the Chief Wildlife Warden, Director General Wildlife and Parks, Chief Wildlife Ranger, Additional Chief Wildlife Ranger, Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger, Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger, Head Wildlife Ranger, Senior Wildlife Ranger and Wildlife Ranger or any other officer appointed to perform any function under this Act;]
(l) prescribed means prescribed by rules;
[(m) [14][* * * * * * * * * *]
[15][(mm) private wildlife breeding farm means an area declared as such under section 20;]
[16] [(mmm) private wildlife park means an area declared as such under section 20;]
[17][(mmmm) Prosecutor means a Prosecutor as defined under the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) Act 2006 (III of 2006);]
(n) Protected animal means a wild animal specified in the Third Schedule;
(o) rules means rules made under this Act;
(p) Schedule means Schedule appended to this Act;
(q) section means a section of this Act;
(r) trophy means a dead body or any horn, antler, tooth, tusk, bone, claw, hoof, skin, hair, feather, egg-shell or other durable part of game animal or protected animal whether or not included in a manufactured or processed articles;
[18][(ra) whistle-blower means a person who, in public interest, discloses to Wildlife Ranger an actual or suspected violation or offence for cognizance under this Act or the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020);]
[19][(s) wild animal means a wild bird or animal specified in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Schedules;]
(t) wildlife includes organic resources, animals, birds, reptiles, vegetation, soil and water;
[20][(tt) wildlife breeding farm means an area declared as such under section 16-A;]
[21][(ttt) wildlife park means an area declared as such under
section 18-A;]
[22][(tttt) safari park means an area declared as such under section 18-A;]
[23][(ttttt) Wildlife Protection Center means a center notified under section 30-A of this Act;]
(u) wildlife sanctuary means the area declared as such under section 16; [24][* * *]
[25][(v) unprotected animal means a wild animal specified in the Fourth Schedule appended to this Act] [26][; and]
[27][(w) zoological garden or zoo means an area declared as such under section 18-A.]
[28][3. Appointment of officers and officials.- Government may determine the
number and class of officers, officials and other staff to be appointed under
this Act on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed.]
[29][4.*
* * * * * * * * * ** * * * *]
5. Constitution of the Board. (1) Government shall establish a Board to be called the Punjab [30][Protected Areas and] Wildlife Management Board.
(2) The Board shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire and hold property and shall by the said name sue and be sued.
(3) The Board shall consist of
(a) a Chairman;
(b) a Vice-Chairman; and
(c) such number of members as may be appointed by Government.
[31][(4) The Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries shall be the Chairman of the Board and he shall also be the Chief Wildlife Warden under this Act.
(5) The Secretary to the Government, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department shall be the Vice-Chairman and ex-officio member of the Board.
(6) A member, other than ex-officio member, shall, unless he sooner resigns or is removed by Government, hold office for such term as may be prescribed.
(7) The Director General, Wildlife and Parks shall be the Secretary and ex-officio member of the Board.]
(8) The meetings of the Board shall be held in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed.
[32][6. Functioning of the Board. The Board shall act in an advisory capacity and its functions shall be
(a) to advise about the formulation of policy
regarding conservation and development of wildlife and game management in the Province;
(b) to supervise the progress of the development activities in the field of wildlife protection, preservation, conservation, and management and to scrutinize the annual progress report submitted in this behalf; and
(c) to undertake such other functions as may be prescribed.]
7. Fund. (1) There shall be a fund to be known as Board Fund vested in the Board. The Fund shall be raised and administered in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) All moneys at the credit of the Board shall be
kept in such custody as may be prescribed.
(3) The Board shall maintain complete and accurate books of accounts in such form as may be prescribed.
(4) The accounts of the Board shall be audited in such manner as may be prescribed.
(5) Copies of the audit report shall be sent to the Board.
(6) The Board shall take necessary steps for rectification of an audit objection.
8. Returns and statements. Government may require the Board to furnish Government with any document, return, statement, estimate, information or report regarding any matter under the control of the Board and the Secretary of the Board shall comply with every such requisition.
9. Restriction of hunting. No person shall:-
[33][(i) hunt
any wild animal by means of a set gun, drop spear, deadfall, gun trap,
explosive, projectile, bomb, grenade, baited hook, net, snare or any other
trap, an automatic or a service weapon or
ammunition used by Armed Forces
of Pakistan, Police Force or any
other force, or by means of [34][PCP air guns, CO2 air guns
or silenced air guns,] any
drug or chemical substance, likely to anesthetize, paralyze, stupefy or render
incapable any wild animal whether partly or totally through a projectile or
otherwise;]
(ii) hunt any protected animal;
(iii) hunt any game animal except under a permit and in accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules:
Provided that no person shall hunt any game animal other than bird or hare with a shot gun or with non-magnum rifle of 22 calibre or less;
(iv) use or have in his possession any net, snare, bhagwa, poison or like injurious
substance for the purpose of hunting a game animal;
(v) use vehicle of any type to pursue any game animal or to drive or stampede game animal for any purpose whatsoever;
(vi) shoot any game animal except wild boar and vermin from any
conveyance or from within two hundred yards of the conveyance;
(vii) hunt with the help of live decoys or call birds except quail;
(viii) construct or use, for the purpose of hunting any wild animal, any pitfall, game pit, trench or similar excavation, any fence or enclosure, or use bhagwa or any other similar contrivance except duck blinds:
Provided that it shall not be an offence to use
(a) a motor vehicle or aircraft to drive any wild animal away from an aerodrome or airstrip when such action is necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft using that aerodrome;
(b) any one or more of the aforesaid prohibited methods if the officer authorised in this behalf grants a licence with permission to employ such method; or
(c) to hunt any unprotected animal;
(ix) hunt except ducks, wild boars and vermin after sunset and before sunrise; and
(x) hunt by hiding within two hundred yards of a water hole or salt licks.
[35][10. Prohibition
to employ hawk, falcon or dog without special licence. No person shall employ a hawk for hawking or falcon for
falconry or dog for coursing as game animal except under a licence issued for
the purpose under this Act.]
[36][10-A. Cruelty to animal prohibited.- No person shall be allowed to act or manage or
demonstrate or try to act or manage or demonstrate any activity in respect of
cruelty to a wild animal.
10-B. Captivity of a wild animal.- No person shall keep a wild animal reflected in Schedules I, II and IV as captive animal except under a licence to be issued by the Director General, Wildlife and Parks in such manner, on payment of such fee and on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed.]
11. Animals found dead or
killed or caught unlawfully. Any [37][wild] animal which is found dead
or dying or which has been killed or caught otherwise than in accordance with
the provisions of this Act and any meat or trophy thereof shall be the property
of [38][Government].
12. Certificate of lawful possession. (1) No person shall be in possession of any wild animal unless he be in
possession of a certificate of lawful possession granted in respect thereof by
the officer authorised in this behalf:
Provided
that any person importing any wild animal, trophy or meat of a wild animal of a
kind specified in the Second Schedule in accordance with the provisions of this
Act or acquiring such animal, trophy or meat in accordance with the terms of a
permit issued under this Act shall apply to the authorised
officer for such certificate within thirty days from the date of importing or
acquiring the animal, trophy or meat.
(2) The officer authorised
in this behalf may mark or register the animal trophy or meat in respect of
which a certificate of lawful possession is issued, in the prescribed manner,
or he may seize, pending the taking of legal action under this Act, any such
animal, trophy or meat which in his opinion has not been legally imported or
acquired.
(3) No person shall counterfeit, change or in any way interfere with any mark or registration of animal, trophy or meat for which a certificate of lawful possession has been issued or alter or in any way change a certificate of lawful possession.
13. Restriction on transfer of animals, trophies or meat. No person shall receive by gift, purchase or otherwise any animal of a kind specified in the Second Schedule unless he receives at the same time a valid certificate of lawful possession in respect thereof.
14. Restriction on import and export of animals, trophies or meat. (1) No person shall import or attempt to import into the Punjab any wild animal of endemic or exotic species, or any trophy or meat of a kind specified in Second Schedule except under an import permit granted under this Act and if such import be from outside Pakistan except through a customs post of entry and subject to any law relating to control on imports for the time being in force.
(2) No person shall export or attempt to export out
of the Punjab any [39][wild] animal, trophy or meat specified
in Second Schedule except under an export permit granted under this Act and if
such export be to any country outside Pakistan except through a customs post of
exit and subject to any law relating to control on export for the time being in
force.
(3) Nothing
in this section shall apply to any [40][wild] animal, trophy or meat in transit through the
(i) is accompanied by necessary transit customs documents;
(ii) is entered through a customs post of entry or is scheduled to a customs post of exit; or
(iii) in case of road transport, is either not
unloaded from the conveyance on which it is being carried or does not remain
unloaded from such conveyance for more than ninety-six hours, or in case of
rail or air transport, it does not leave the precincts of the railway station
or airport at which it is landed or trans-shipped.
15. Restriction on dealings in animals, trophies or meat. (1) No person shall as a profession, trade or business, buy, sell or otherwise deal in wild animals, trophies or meat thereof or process or manufacture goods or articles from such trophies or meat, unless he is in possession of a valid licence, hereinafter called a dealers licence, to do so, issued by an officer authorised in this behalf.
(2) The officer authorised
in this behalf may, on payment of such fees as may be prescribed, grant a
dealers licence to be valid for one year to any person which shall entitle the
licencee to deal in any wild animal, trophy or meat
thereof, or any class of wild animals, trophies or meat specified in such
licence. Such licence shall be renewable in such manner as may be prescribed.
(3) For the purpose of assessment of fees, dealers
may be divided into different classes and a different fees
may be prescribed for each class.
(4) The holder of the dealers licence shall
maintain such register or record of his dealings in such manner as may be
prescribed, and shall produce them for inspection at any reasonable time when
called upon to do so.
[41][16. * * * * *]
[42][16-A. Wildlife breeding farm. (1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare any area, which is the property of the Government or over which the Government has the proprietary rights, to be a wildlife breeding farm.
(2) The following acts shall be prohibited in the
wildlife breeding farm:-
(a) hunting,
shooting, trapping, killing or capturing of a wild animal;
(b) firing or doing any other act which may disturb a wild animal or interfere with the breeding places;
(c) felling, tapping, burning or in any manner damaging, destroying, taking, collecting, removing or taking away a plant or tree or leave, fruit or seed therefrom;
(d) polluting water flowing in or through the wildlife park;
(e) any act of feeding or teasing a wild animal;
(f) damaging of any structure;
(g) any act of teasing or harassing visitors or otherwise, creating any pandemonium; and
(h) any act in violation of any restrictions imposed by the Government:
Provided that the Government may, for such purposes as it may deem expedient, authorize the doing of the aforementioned prohibited acts except at paras (d), (e), (g), and (h).]
[43][17. * * * * *]
[44][18. * * * * *]
[45][18-A. Wildlife park, zoological garden or zoo and safari park.(1) The Government may, by notification in the official gazette, declare an area which is the property of the Government or over which the Government has proprietary rights, to be a wildlife park to maintain wild animal in captivity and in a state as close to nature as possible, for the purpose of breeding, re-introduction, recreation and public education.
(2) The Government may, by notification in the official gazette, declare an area which is the property of the Government or over which the Government has proprietary rights, to be a zoological garden or zoo to maintain, breed locally extinct, endangered or threatened species of wild animal for re-introduction, recreation and public education.
(3) The Government may, by notification in the official gazette, declare an enclosed area which is the property of the Government or over which the Government has proprietary rights, to be a safari park in which wild animal shall be kept in the open space for viewing by public from a vehicle driven through.
(4) Wildlife park, safari
park or zoological garden or zoo shall be accessible to public for recreation,
education and research purposes, subject to such restrictions as the Government
may impose.
(5) Provision for access roads to and construction
of cafeteria, motel, laboratory, research centre and any other building in the
wildlife park, safari park or zoological garden or zoo alongwith amenities for
public may be made for the facilitation of achievement of, and the forest
vegetation therein shall be so managed and forest produce so obtained as not to
impair the objectives of the establishment of such parks or zoological garden
or zoo.
(6) The following acts shall be prohibited in the
wildlife park, safari park or zoological garden or zoo:-
(a) hunting,
shooting, trapping, killing or capturing of a wild animal;
(b) firing or doing any other act which may disturb a wild animal or interfere with the breeding place of a wild animal;
(c) felling, tapping, burning or in any manner damaging, destroying, taking, collecting, removing or taking away any plant or tree or leave, fruit or seed therefrom;
(d) polluting water flowing in or through the wildlife park, zoological garden or zoo or safari park;
(e) any act of feeding or teasing a wild animal;
(f) damaging of any structure;
(g) any act of teasing or harassing visitor or otherwise, creating any pandemonium; and
(h) any act in violation of any restriction imposed by the Government:
Provided that the Government may for such purposes as it may deem expedient authorize the doing of any of the aforementioned prohibited act except at para (d), (e), (g) and (h).]
[46][19. * * * * *]
[47][20. [48][Private safari parks, private wildlife parks, private wildlife breeding farms and circus]. (1) Where the Government is satisfied that
[49][(a)* * * * * * * * * *]
(b) an area of land has
been dedicated by its owner or owners, for the purposes similar to a safari
park, it may, on the application of the owner or the owners, as the case may
be, by notification in the official Gazette, declare such area to be a private
safari park;
(c) a
collection of wild animal has been kept over an area
of land dedicated by its owner or owners, for the purpose of breeding, sale,
exchange, recreation, education and research, it may, on the application of the
owner or the owners, as the case may be, by notification in the official
gazette, declare such area to be a private wildlife park;
(d) a collection of wild animal has been kept over an area of land dedicated by its
owner or owners, for the purpose of breeding, sale and exchange, it may, on the
application of the owner or the owners, as the case may be, by notification in
the official gazette, declare such area to be a private wildlife breeding farm; and
(e) a collection of wild
animal has been dedicated by its owner or owners, for
the purpose of exhibition, display and performance at public places, it may, on
the application of the owner or the owners, as the case may be, by notification
in the official gazette, declare such collection to be a circus.
[50][(2)* * * * *
* * * * * * *]
(3) Hunting and shooting of wild animal shall not
be allowed in a private wildlife park, private safari park, circus and private
wildlife breeding farm.]
[51][21. Penalties. [52][(1)] Whoever contravenes or attempts to contravene:-
[53][(i) any provision of sections 9,
11,
12, 13, 20 and 28,
except clauses (ii) and (x) of section 9, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to five
years but not
less
than two years, or with fine up to
one million rupees but not less than fifty
thousand rupees, or with both, along with confiscation
of weapon, article, vehicle, equipment, machinery or any other
thing used in commission of offence under this Act;
(ii) any provision of clauses (ii) and (x) of section 9, sections 10, 14 and 15, except clauses (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) of sub-section (2) of section 16-A and clauses (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) of sub-section (6) of section 18-A, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years but not less than five years or with fine up to five million rupees but not less than one hundred thousand rupees or with both, along with confiscation of weapon, article, vehicle, equipment, machinery or any other article used in commission of offence under this Act; and]
(iii) any
provision of this Act or any rule for the contravention of which no specific
penalty is provided
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to ten months or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with
both.]
[54][(2) An offence punishable under clauses (i) and (ii) shall be deemed to be cognizable and non-bailable for the purposes of the Code and shall be triable as provided under section 30-I.]
22. Abetment of an offence. An abetment of any offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder shall be punishable [55][with such punishment as provided for the offence abetted].
[56][22-A. Whistle-blower disclosure.- (1) Any person making a
whistle-blower
disclosure shall
make
a personal declaration that
the information disclosed and allegations
contained therein declaration are true to the best of his knowledge and belief,
and are not disclosed for any personal reason.
(2) Every
whistle-blower disclosure shall
be
made in writing or electronic form in such
manner and accompanied by
such
documents or other material
as
may be prescribed.
(3) Upon receipt
of whistle-blower disclosure, the Investigating
Officer or Wildlife Ranger or
any other authorized officer shall
make
an
assessment of the information
contained in the disclosure and verify
the
same under
intimation to the next
higher authority
in such manner as may
be
prescribed.
(4) Upon assessment and verification under sub-section
(3), if the
Investigating Officer or Wildlife Ranger
or authorized officer is of the view that
the whistle-blower disclosure warrants further probe, inquiry
or investigation, he shall complete such
probe immediately but not
later than twenty-four hours and take necessary
action, if so required.
22-B. Reward
and punishment.- (1) If any
violation or offence is
successfully detected by
the
Investigating Officer or Wildlife Ranger or authorized officer on whistle-blower disclosure and offender is punished in
consequence of such disclosure, such whistle-blower may be paid a reward as may
be
prescribed in addition to a certificate of appreciation
by the Chief Wildlife Ranger:
Provided that in case of disclosures
by more than one
whistle-blowers for the same violation
or
offence, reward shall be equitably
distributed amongst
such
whistle-blowers based on
their respective contribution, as determined and deemed fit by
the
Chief Wildlife Ranger.
(2) In case a whistle-blower
discloses such information which he knows or believes to be false, frivolous or vexatious and on
such disclosure Investigating Officer or Wildlife Ranger or authorized officer takes
action under this Act,
such
whistle-blower shall, subject to being provided an opportunity of
being heard, be liable to be
punished with fine which may extend up to
one hundred thousand rupees.
22-C. Protection of whistle-blower.- (1) The identity
of a whistle-blower, other than provided in sub-section (2)
of section 22-C, shall
not be disclosed even after conclusion of proceedings, except with written consent
of such whistle-blower, and in
case, unauthorized disclosure of identity
of such
whistle-blower is made by an officer or official, it shall amount to misconduct under the
Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006.
(2) The Chief Wildlife Ranger may, in consultation
with
whistle-blower, take necessary
measure for his protection for such duration and
in such manner as may
be
prescribed.
22-D. Incentive and compensation.- (1) The Chief Wildlife Ranger may
grant incentive or reward to Investigating Officer or Wildlife Ranger or any other officer or official, who has made exceptional
effort
towards accomplishing the objective
of this Act, in
such manner as
may be prescribed.
(2) Where Investigating Officer or Wildlife Ranger or any other officer or official suffers any bodily injury by any reason during performing his official duty for the purposes of this Act, Chief Wildlife Ranger may grant him such compensation as may be prescribed.]
23. Killing or capturing in self-defence. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, it shall not be an offence, if
(a) any person kills any wild animal by any means in the immediate defence of his own life or that of any other person;
(b) the owner of livestock or his employee kills any wild animal that is doing damage to the livestock by any means within a reasonable distance or where that livestock is grazing or where it is enclosed for the night:
Provided that clause (b) shall not apply to any unlawful cultivation in a national park, wildlife sanctuary and a reserved or protected forest or any livestock unlawfully grazing or herded therein.
(2) The killing under sub-section (1) of wild animals specified in the First and Third Schedules shall be reported to the nearest office established for the purposes of this Act.
(3) The meat or trophy of any wild animal killed in self-defence shall be the property of Government and shall be disposed of as directed by the officer authorised in this behalf.
24. Onus of proof. When in any proceedings taken under this Act or in consequence of anything done under this Act, a question arises as to whether any wild animal, trophy or meat is the property of [57][Government], such wild animal, trophy or meat shall be presumed to be the property of [58][Government] until the contrary is proved.
25. Power to search without warrant. Any officer authorised by Government in this behalf, may search any person, premises, vessel, vehicle, animal, package, receptacle or covering so as to satisfy himself whether or not an offence under this Act has been committed:
Provided that no premises shall be searched under this section except under the authority of a warrant issued by the magistrate having jurisdiction in the area.
26. Power to seizure. Any officer authorised by Government in this behalf, may seize any wild animal, dead or alive, together with any firearm, net, trap, snare, bow, arrow or any vehicle or vessel or anything whatsoever used or suspected to have been used in the commission of an offence under this Act.
27. Procedure as to perishable
property seized under section 26. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the officer authorised in this behalf may sell any property seized
under section 26 which is subject to speedy and natural decay and may, subject
to the determination of the rights thereto, deal with the proceeds in such
manner as may be prescribed.
28. Duty to produce permit on demand made by any officer or person authorised in this behalf. Every person in possession of any wild animal specified in the First and Third Schedule shall produce his certificate of lawful possession on demand made by any officer authorised by Government in this behalf.
29. Duty of coupe purchaser, chowkidar, village watchman, etc. Every coupe purchaser of forest produce, lambardar, canal patwari, Public Works Department, daroga, chowkidar, dafadar, village watchman, abdar, zilladar, revenue patwari, qanungo and tehsildar shall be bound, in the absence of reasonable excuse to give to any officer authorised in this behalf by Government, information in respect of any snaring, trapping, netting, unauthorised killing, or any other offence under this Act committed within the limits of his jurisdiction, as soon as the commission of such offence comes to his knowledge.
30. Procedure when offender not known or cannot be found. When the offender is not known or cannot be found any officer authorised in this behalf may, if he finds that an offence has been committed, confiscate the property used in the commission of the offence.
[59][30-A. Establishment of Wildlife Protection Centers.
(1)
The Government shall, by notification
in the official
Gazette, establish or
declare one or more
places or premises,
generally
or specially, as Wildlife Protection Center
for
the purposes of this Act to
exercise such powers and perform such functions in such area as may be provided in the notification.
(2) Each Wildlife
Protection Center shall consist of:
(a) Head Wildlife
Ranger;
(b) Senior Wildlife Ranger;
(c) Wildlife Ranger; and
(d) any other official.
(3) The supervision of Wildlife Protection Center
shall vest with an officer not below the rank of Assistant Chief Wildlife
Ranger and Head Wildlife Ranger shall be incharge of Wildlife Protection Center
and, in his absence, Senior Wildlife Ranger shall be the incharge.
(4) The Chief Wildlife Ranger or his authorized
officer may assign any officer to perform such duties in the Wildlife
Protection Center for such a period and on such terms and conditions as may be
provided in the order.
(5) The Wildlife Ranger shall be authorized to wear
such uniform, carry such ammunition, keep such identification card or tag such
badge and in such manner as may be prescribed.
(6) Each Wildlife Protection Center shall be
provided such marked vehicles and motorbikes as may be deemed necessary.
(7) The supervision and administration of Wildlife
Protection Center shall be made in such manner as may be prescribed.
30-B. Powers and functions of incharge of
Wildlife Protection Center. (1) An incharge of Wildlife Protection Center
shall perform such functions and
exercise such powers in such manner as may
be
prescribed.
(2) In addition to the powers and functions as may
be prescribed under sub-section (1), incharge of Wildlife Protection Center,
within its territorial jurisdiction, shall also:
(a)
enforce and execute decisions of
Government;
(b)
enforce provisions of this Act and
the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020);
(c) conduct inspections and inquiries;
(d) register FIRs and conduct investigations;
(e)
arrest and submit reports;
(f)
issue orders under directions of
the Board or Chief Wildlife Ranger; and
(g)
exercise such other powers and
perform such other functions as may be delegated to him by the Chief Wildlife
Ranger.
30-C. Maintenance of record at Wildlife Protection Center.- The incharge of Wildlife
Protection Center
shall be responsible to maintain record in such
manner as may
be
prescribed.
30-D. Chief Wildlife Ranger.- (1) The Director General, Wildlife and Parks shall
act as Chief Wildlife Ranger
under this Act and shall:
(a) be responsible for implementation of provisions of this Act and rules
made thereunder;
(b) also have
powers of Wildlife Ranger for the purposes of this Act; and
(c) exercise such other powers and perform
such other functions as may
be prescribed.
(2) The Chief Wildlife Ranger or in-charge of
Wildlife Protection Center may direct to establish such number of wildlife
check posts at such place as may be deemed appropriate to prevent an offence
and to protect wildlife under this Act.
30-E. Powers and functions of an officer.- (1) Subject to provisions of
this
Act, an officer, within his
assigned jurisdiction, may, in a cognizable offence, arrest any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists or credible
information
has been received of his having been involved in an offence, and, for this purpose, shall
exercise all powers of a police-officer provided in the Code.
(2) An officer not below the rank of Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger may
seal any private wildlife reserve, private wildlife park and private safari
park, if he has reason to believe that such private wildlife reserve, private
wildlife park and private safari park is being established or used in
contravention of provisions of this Act, or rules made thereunder.
(3) An officer may seize any wildlife animal, dead, or alive, trophy and
its meat together with any firearm, net, trap, snare, bow, arrow or vehicle or
vessel or anything whatsoever used or suspected to have been used in commission
of offence under this Act.
(4) An officer not below the rank of Senior Wildlife Ranger may search
and seize any shop or building or house or place where wild animal, parts of
dead wildlife animal, trophy and its meat is kept, stored, hanged or displayed
without authority or permission of Director General, Wildlife and Parks and may
arrest owner of such shop, building or house, as the case may be.
(5) An officer not below the rank of Senior Wildlife Ranger may arrest
any person who made any picture or photo or movie or clip or TikTok or any
motion picture of hunting of any wild animal prohibited for hunting or game
animal with any electronic or
digital device or
uploaded such picture,
photo, movie, clip or TikTok on internet or any other social or electronic media
platform and shall
impound such
electronic or digital device.
(6) An officer may perform such other functions as may be assigned by
the
Chief Wildlife Ranger.
30-F. Investigating Officer.- (1) The Chief Wildlife Ranger shall, by notification, appoint
as
many Investigating Officers for each Wildlife
Protection
Center as it
may
deem appropriate.
(2) The Investigating Officer shall
have
powers:
(a) to
enter, inspect, search and seal any public property, building, place or any
premises where he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act has
occurred or is apprehension of so happening;
(b)
to enter, inspect, search and seal
any private property, building or place, subject to warrant or order of the
Magistrate in whose jurisdiction such premises situate, where he has reason to
believe that an offence under this Act has occurred or is apprehension of so
happening;
(c) to stop, inspect, search and
seize any vehicle for the purposes
of this Act;
(d) issue notice or summon to
offender under this Act;
(e) seize
any
item, goods, article or property
used in or relevant
to prove the commission of
offence, provided that
every such item shall
be
listed in the register of seized items in the prescribed manner;
(f) to use reasonable force, in case of retaliation
or obstruction during
discharge of his functions under this Act;
(g) to collect evidence through electronic means to
inquire or
investigate, such as CCTV camera recording,
video
recording, audio
recording, photographs,
electronic data, caller data records, mobile device tracking, and
digital forensics;
(h) to get FIRs registered at
Wildlife Protection Center;
(i) save as in this Act,
Investigating Officer shall also
have all such
powers
as
provided in the Code for the purposes of investigation; and
(j) such other powers as may be prescribed.
30-G. Procedure to be followed after arrest.- (1) The
arrest
of a
person shall
be
brought
into the knowledge of incharge of Wildlife Protection Center
and such arrested person shall, without unnecessary
delay but not
later than
twenty-four hours from his arrest, be produced before the Court or in absence of Court before the
area Magistrate for remand.
(2) The incharge of Protection Wildlife
Center shall
also
submit
a report about
the registration of
case to Chief Wildlife Ranger in such
manner as may be prescribed.
30-H. Cognizance and trial of offences.- (1) A Special Court, duly notified by
the
Government, and in its absence Magistrate under section 30
of the Code shall
take cognizance and try offence in the manner as provided in the Code and award punishment
under this Act.
(2) An officer under this Act shall be
a competent witness for the purposes of this
Act before the Court.
30-I. Submission
of report.- Report of the case shall
be submitted in the Court
through concerned
District Public Prosecutor who shall defend the case in the Court.]
[60][31.*
* * * * * * * * * * * *]
[61][32.*
* * * * * * * * * * * *]
33. Power to prevent commission
of offence. Every officer or any other person authorised by Government in this behalf shall be competent
to prevent by all lawful means the commission of any offence under this Act.
[62][34.*
* * * * * * * * * * * *]
[63][35.*
* * * * * * * * * * * *]
[64][36.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *]
37. Prosecution of offences
under any other law. Nothing contained in this Act shall be
deemed to prevent any person from being prosecuted under any other law for any
act of commission which constitutes an offence under this Act or from being
liable under any other law to any higher punishment or penalty than that
provided by this Act.
38. Power to compound offence. (1) Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, empower an officer
(a) to accept from any person against whom
reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed any offence under this Act, a
sum of money by way of compensation for such offence;
(b) when any property has been seized as liable to confiscation, to release the same on payment of the value thereof, as [65][may be prescribed].
(2) On the payment of compensation, such sum of money, or such value of property under sub-section (1) or both, as the case may be, the suspected person if in custody, shall be discharged and the property, if any, seized shall be released and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property.
[66][(3) The sum of money accepted as compensation under clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall be up to fifty thousand rupees at first charge to commit an offence under this Act and on repetition of offence, the amount of compensation shall be not less than the double of the amount of compensation accepted at first time.]
(4) No officer shall have power to compound a [67][third] and subsequent offence under this Act.
39. Government may invest officer with certain powers. Government may invest any officer or any other person authorised in this behalf with all or any of the following powers, that is to say
(a) the powers of a civil court to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and material objects;
(b) the
power to hold an inquiry into offences under this Act and in the course of such
inquiry to receive and record evidence; and
(c) the power to prosecute a case before a magistrate.
40. Officers, etc. to be public servants. The officers or persons authorised under any provisions of this Act to do a certain thing or act in certain manner shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860).
41. Protection of action taken under this Act. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any officer for anything in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of any provision of this Act or the rules made thereunder.
42. Duty of police officer. Every police officer shall, upon request made by any officer or person authorised under this Act, assist him in the due discharge of his duties under this Act.
43. Delegation of powers. Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, delegate all or any of the powers conferred upon it under the provisions of this Act to any officer subordinate to it.
44. Power to grant exemption. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, Government may, in the
interest of any scientific or public purpose, allow, by notification in the
official Gazette, hunting and capturing of such wild animals in any specified
place by any specific means.
[68][44-A. Power of sale or exchange. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Government may, for scientific management, allow sale or exchange of wild animal, from any wildlife breeding farm, wildlife park, safari park, zoological garden or zoo.]
[69][44-B. Hunting of wild animals.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, Chief Wildlife Ranger or any officer authorized by him may, if he is satisfied that any wild animal has become dangerous to human being or other species or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order, in writing and stating the reasons therefor, cull such animal or cause such animal to be culled in such manner as may be prescribed.]
45. Power to add to or exclude from Schedules. Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, in respect, to any specified area
(i) add to or exclude from the Schedules any wild animals, subject to such conditions as it may impose in each case; and
(ii) alter the period during which any wild animal specified in the First Schedule may be hunt.
46. Power to make rules. (1) Government may make rules for the purposes of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing powers, such rules may provide for
(a) the functions and powers of the Board;
(b) the powers and duties of the officers and other persons specially authorised to perform functions under this Act;
(c) the form in which and the terms and conditions, on which a licence, special licence, a permit or a special permit may be granted;
(d) the fees to be charged for any licence or permit or special licence or special permit;
(e) in the case of any species of wild animals the number and the sex that may be killed under special permit;
(f) reward to persons who render help in detection of offences under this Act;
(g) the authorities by whom, the conditions on which, and the manner in which licences may be issued;
(h) the management of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and game reserves;
(i) tenure of office, resignation and terms and conditions of members of the Board;
(j) the
recruitment, tenure of office, terms and conditions of service of the officers
and servants of the Board, and other persons;
(k) the delegation of administrative and financial powers to members, Secretary, officers and servants of the Board, and other persons; and
(l) any other matter required under any of the provisions of this Act to be prescribed.
47. Dissolution of the Board. Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare that the Board shall be dissolved on such date and with such consequences as may be specified in the notification.
48. Repeal and validation. (1) The following enactments in their application to the Province of
the Punjab shall be deemed to have been repealed from the date the Punjab
Ordinances Temporary Enactment Act, 1973, in so far as it enacted the
provisions of the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) Ordinance, 1972 expired:-
(a) The Elephant Preservation Act, 1879 (Act No. VI of 1879);
(b) The Wild Bird and Animal Protection Act, 1912 (Act VIII of 1912); and
(c) The
(2) Everything done, action taken or order made under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance, 1972 and its provisions as enacted by the Punjab Ordinances Temporary Enactment Act, 1973 on or after 25th October, 1972 and before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been validly done, taken or made.
49. Repeal of
First Schedule
[See Section 2 (D)]
Part I
Wild Birds and Animals which may be hunted
on an Ordinary Shooting License
A-Birds
|
Name
of species |
Bag
limit or number allowed per gun |
Time
and season when hunting permitted |
|
Category one |
|
|
|
1. All the ducks within the family anatidae, including the tree ducks, diving ducks, surface
feeding and sheld ducks, except those ducks listed
under the Third Schedule as protected or listed hereunder in the First
Schedule. |
Not more than ten ducks of all species per day. |
1st October to 31st March. |
|
2. Ruddy Sheld-duck
or Brahminy duck, Tadorna Ferruginea. |
Not more than two of each of these three species per
day. |
Ditto |
|
3. Redcrested
pochard, Netta rufina |
||
|
4. Cotton Teal, Nettapus
coromandelianus. |
||
|
Category two |
|
|
|
5. Bar headed Geese Anser Indicus |
Three only per day |
1st October to 1st March. |
|
6. Lesser white fronted geese Anser ibifors. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
Category three Snipe, Plovers, Waders and Allied
Waterfowl. |
|
|
|
7. Fantail Snipe, Capella gallinago. |
Eight only per day |
1st Oct. to 1st March. |
|
8. Jack
Snipe, Capella minima |
Ditto. |
Ditto. |
|
9. Purple Moor hen Porphyrio porphyrio. |
Two only per day |
Ditto. |
|
10. Moorhen,
Galinula, chloropus |
Four only per day |
Ditto. |
|
11. Coot,
Fulica, atra |
Twelve only per day |
1st Oct. to 1st March. |
|
12. White Tailed
Lapwing, Vanellus leucurus. |
Two only per day |
Ditto. |
|
13. Red Wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
14. Gray plover or Black Bellied Plover pluvialis, squata rola. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
15. Curlew
Numenius, arguata |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
16. Black Tailed godwit, Limosa Limosa. |
Six only per day of all species of waders listed
below. |
Ditto. |
|
17. Common Redshank, Tringa totanus. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
18. Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa Stagnatilist. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
19. Green
Shank, Tringa nebularia |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
20. Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
21. Dunlin
Calidris alpinus |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
22. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris testaceus |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
Category Four |
|
|
|
23. All cranes of family Gruidae including
Demoiselle and common cranes except Artic crane. |
Three birds per day |
15th August to 15th April. |
|
Category Five Gallinacecus Birds |
|
|
|
24. Himalayan Snow cook or Ram Chukor Tetraogallus himaal-yansis. |
Not more than one per day. |
1st October to 1st March. |
|
25. Chukor Partridge, Alectoris, graeca |
Not more than five per day |
1st November to 1st March. |
|
26. See See, Ammoperdix griseo-gularis |
Ditto |
1st November to 1st March. |
|
27. Black Partridge, Francolinus |
Not more than six per day |
15th November to 15th January on Sundays only. |
|
28. Grey
Partridge, Francolinus Pondicerianus. |
Not more than six per day |
15th November to 15th January on Sundays only. |
|
29. Common Quail, coturnix cotrunix |
No limit |
15th August to 15th April. |
|
30. Black
Breasted or Rain Quail |
Not more than six per day |
1st August to 30th September. |
|
Category six Pigeons and Doves |
|
|
|
31. Green Pigeon or Fruit Pigeon Columba aenea. |
Six only per day |
1st October to 1st March. |
|
32. Blue Rock Pigeon, Columba livia |
No limit |
Ditto. |
|
33. Wood Pigeon Columba Palumbus |
Two only per day |
Ditto. |
|
34. Rufous
Turtle Dove Strepto-pelia orientalis. |
Six only per day |
Ditto. |
|
35. Common Ring
Dove Strepro-pelia decaocto. |
No limit |
Ditto. |
|
36. Little Brown Dove or Senegal Dove Streptopelia senega-lensis. |
Six only per day |
Ditto. |
|
37. Long
Tail persian Dove |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
38. Turtle
Dove Turtur auritus |
Two only per day |
Ditto. |
|
Category seven Sandgrous, Bustards and Stone Curlews |
|
|
|
39 Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus. |
Eight only per day |
1st October to 1st March. |
|
40. Imperial Sandgrouse, Petrocles orientalis. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
41. Coronetted Sandgrouse Petrocles coronatus. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
42. Houbara Bustard or Mcqueens
Bustard chlamydotis undulata. |
Three only per day |
1st November to 1st March. |
|
43. Stone Curlew Burhinus Oedinnemus. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
44. Indian Courser Cursorius Coromandelicus. |
Two only per day |
Ditto. |
|
45. Jorrden Courser |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
Category eight Birds of Prey |
|
|
|
46. Hawks |
Three birds per day |
1st November to 1st March. |
|
47. Buzzards |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
48. Harrier |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
49. Falcons |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
B-Mammals |
||
|
50. Desert Hare Lepus nigri collisdayanus. |
Three per day |
1st September to 1st March. |
|
51. |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
|
52. Fishing
cat, Felis viverrina |
Unlimited |
All year round. |
|
53. Jungle
cat Felis chous |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
Part II
Wild
Animals for the Hunting of which a Special Permit is Required
[See Clause (iii) of Section 9]
|
Serial
No. |
Name
of species |
Season
when hunting is permitted. |
Localities
where hunting is permitted. |
|
1. |
Nill gai or Blue bull Bosela phus Tragocamelus |
1st December to 31st May |
In specified area except National parks and Game
sanctuaries. |
|
2. |
Urial Ovis orientalis |
Ditto |
Ditto. |
Second Schedule
[See Section 12 (2)]
Animals,
trophies or meat for the possession, transfer or export of which certificate of
lawful possession is required.
(1) Any live game animal.
(2) Any trophy or meat derived from a game animal.
(3) Trophy of any animal in the Third Schedule and
of any animal protected by any other
Third Schedule
[See Section 2 (n) and 9 (ii)]
Wild birds and animals protected throughout the year.
ABirds
Category one
The following ducks:
1. Lesser Whistling Teal, Dendrocygna Javanica.
2. Greater Whistling Teal, Dendrocygna bicolor.
3. Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna.
4. Marbled Teal, Anas angustirostra.
5. Baikal Teal, Anas
6. Falcated Teal, Anas falcata.
7. Golden Eyed Duck, Bucephala clangula.
8. Long Tailed Duck, Clangula hyemalis.
9. Smew, Mergue
albellus.
10. Nukhta or Comb Duck, Sarkindiornis melanotos.
11. Goosander, Mergus merganser.
12. Red Breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator.
13. Spotbilled Duck, Anas pocilorhyncha.
14. White Headed or Stiff tailed Duck, Oxyura leucocephala.
Category
two
15. All Swans of the genus cygnus including Mute Swans, whooper and Bewicks swans.
Category three
16. Grey Leg Geese, Anser anser
Category four
17. Artic crane.
Category five
18. All Pelicans of the genus pelecanus including rosy, Dalmation and Spotted billed pelicans.
Category six
19. All Egrets, Herons, Night Herons and Bitterns of the family of Ardeidae including parple and Grey herons, Little Chestnut and Common Bitterns, Cattle Egrets, Large Egrets.
Category seven
20. All Storks of the family Ciconidae including painted, Black Necked, White and Black and White Necked Storks.
Category eight
21. All Ibises and Spoonbills including the Glossy Ibis, White Ibis and Spoonbill.
Cetegory nine
22. All Flamingoes of the genus phoenicopterus.
Category ten
23. All Hill Pheasants including the Kalij, Kekiass-Cheer, Impeyan and Western Horned Tragopan.
24. Button Quail, Trunix tanki.
25. Little Bustard Quail, Turning sylvatica.
Category eleven
The following species of Plovers, Stone-Curlews Waders, Water Birds and Gallinules:
26. Water Rail, Rallus aquatious.
27. White Breasted Waterhen,
Amaurornis phoenicurus.
28. Water Cock, Gallicrex cinerea.
29. Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus.
30. Sociable Lapwing, Vanellus gregariues
31. Green plover or Peewit, Vanellus vanellus.
32. Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus malabaricus.
33. Solitary Snipe, Capella solitaria.
34. Painted Snipe, Rostratula benghalensis.
35. Wood Cock, Scolopox rusticola.
36. Avocet, Recurvirostra, avosetta.
37. Great Stone Plover, Esacus magnirostris.
38. Cream coloured courser, Cursorius cursor.
Category twelve
The following Sandgrouse, Bustards and Doves:-
39. Large pintail Sandgrouses, Ptercocles alchata.
40. Great Indian Bustard, Choriotis nigricepes.
41. Little Bustard, Otis tetrax.
42. Indian Sangrouse, Pterocles exustus.
43. Close Barred or painted, Sandgrouse Pterocle indicus.
44. Red turtle Dove, Streptopelia tranquebarica.
45. Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis.
46. Wedge Tailed Green pigeon, Trerion sphenura,
47. Ruff, Reaf, Jukkari (wood cock) Scolopax Rusticola.
Category thirteen
Following birds of prey:-
48. Eagles, Vultures, Kites.
Category fourteen
49. Common
Starling and Rosy Starling.
BMammals
Category one
50. The Black BearSelenarctos thibetanus.
51. Leopard or pantherPantherx pardus.
52. Leopard CatFolis benghalsnsis.
53. Desert CatFelis libyca.
54. CaracalFelis caracal.
55. Himalayan Palm CivetPaguma larvata.
56. Small Indian CivetViverricula Indica.
57. Yellow-Throated MartenMartes Flavigula.
58. Ratel or Honey BadgerMellivora capensis.
59. Smooth Coated OtterLutra prespicillata.
60. Striped HyaenaHyaena hyaena.
61. Rhesus MonkeyMacaca mulatta.
62. Hill FoxVulpes Vulpes
griffithi.
Category two
63. Barking DeerMuntiacus muntjac.
64. Hog DeerAxisporcinus.
65. Chittal or Spotted DeerAxis Axis.
66. Chinkara GazelleGazella Gazella.
67. Black BuckAntelope cervicapra.
68. GoralNaemorhedus goral.
69. Indus DolphinPlatanista indi.
Category three
70. All monitor Lizards of the Genus Varanus and Spiny tailed lizards of the Genus Uromastyx.
71. All Snakes of the family colubridac containing non-poisonous and beneficial rat Snakes and the Genus Python.
72. All Crocodiles including Mugger, Crocodilus palustris and the fish Eating Crocodile, Gavialis gangeticus.
Fourth Schedule
Schedule of Wild Birds and Animals which are not Protected
[See Section 2 (v)]
|
Serial
No. |
Scientific
Name |
English
Name |
Vernacular
Name |
|
1. |
Corvus Levaillanti |
The Himalayan Jungle Crow. |
Kowa, |
|
2. |
Corvus splendens |
The House Crow |
|
|
3. |
Psittaoula eupatria |
The Large Indian Paraquet |
Tota, Raitota. |
|
4. |
Psittacula krameri |
The Rospingen Paraquer |
|
|
5. |
Caprimulgus europasus unwivi |
|
Chippak, Chappa, Dab Chiri, Dabhak, Andha Chirya. |
|
6. |
Caprimulgus Macrurus albtatus. |
Idight Jar. |
Chupka. |
|
7. |
Caprimulgus Indivius |
Indian Jungle Night Jar |
Kapoo. |
|
8. |
Lynocornis carniciceps |
Great cared Night Jar |
Sandhya muznaki. |
|
9. |
Viduiae |
Munias |
Lalmunias. |
|
10. |
Ploecinae |
Weaver Birds |
Baya, Bijra, etc. |
|
11. |
Herpestes auropunatatus |
The Small Indian Mangoose. |
Neol, Nyul, Naola, Dhor. |
|
12. |
Herpestes Mungo |
The Common Indian Mangoose. |
|
|
13. |
Herpestes smithi |
The Ruddy Mangoose |
|
|
14. |
Canis pallipes |
The Indian Wolf |
Gurg, Bhariya. |
|
15. |
Canis Lupus |
The Wolf |
Bhagya. |
|
16. |
Canis aureus |
The Jackal |
Giddaryal, phival. |
|
17. |
Preropus medius |
The Indian Fruit Bat |
Badur, arbagual, chugmidd, dultakao. |
|
18. |
Hystrix bucura |
The Indian Porcupine |
Syal, Sa Kundewalli. |
|
19. |
Mus (whole family) |
Rats and mice |
Chuha, Chuhi. |
|
20. |
Scurius indicus |
The Squirrel |
Galarhi. |
|
21. |
Sus scrofa |
The Wild bear |
Suhar, barla janwar. |
[1]This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly
on 28th January, 1974; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 1st
February, 1974; and, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 1st
February, 1974, pages 117-K to 117-GG.
[2]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[3]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[4]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[5]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[6]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[7]Inserted by the
[8]Inserted by the
[9]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[10]Substituted by
the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
(Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[11]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[12]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[13] Substituted first by
the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
(Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007), and then by the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025
(II of 2025), for the following:
(k) officer means the Chief Wildlife Warden, Director General Wildlife and Parks, Director
Wildlife and Parks, Deputy Director Wildlife, Assistant Director Wildlife,
District Wildlife Officer, Wildlife Supervisor, Wildlife Inspector, Head
Wildlife Watcher and Wildlife Watcher or any other officer appointed to perform
any function under this Act;.
[14]The following omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
(m) private game reserve means an area declared
as such under section 20;
[15]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[16]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[17]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[18]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[19]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007
(XII of 2007).
[20]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[21]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[22]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[23]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[24]The word and omitted by the Punjab
Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment)
Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[25]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025), for the following:
(v) unprotected
animals means a wild bird or wild animal specified in the Fourth Schedule
[26]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007
(XII of 2007)., for the full-stop.
[27]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection,
Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[28]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025), for the following:
3. Appointment
of officers. Government may
determine the number and class of officers including honorary officers to be
appointed under this Act; provided that an honorary officer shall hold office
for such period as may be specified unless the appointment is revoked earlier
by Government.
[29]The following section omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
4. Powers of an honorary officer. An
honorary officer appointed under section 3 shall have such powers of an officer
as may be prescribed..
[30]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[31]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025), for the following:
(4) Chief Minister of the Punjab shall be the chief wildlife warden
and ex-officio Chairman of the Board.
(5) Minister-in-Charge of the Punjab Wildlife Department shall be
the ex-officio Vice Chairman of the Board.
(6) A member shall, unless he sooner resigns or is removed by
Government, hold office for such term as may be prescribed.
(7) Secretary to Government, Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries and
Tourism Department shall be the ex-officio Secretary of the Board.
[32]Substituted by the
[33]Substituted by the
[34]Inserted by the Punjab
Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment)
Act 2023 (X of 2023).
[35] The following section was substituted by
the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025
(II of 2025):
10. Prohibition to employ hawks and dogs without
special licence. No person shall use hawks for hawking or dogs for
coursing the game animals under a licence issued for the purpose under the
Act.
[36] New sections inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[37]Substituted for the
words protected
animal or game, by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[38]Substituted for the
word Board, by the Punjab
Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment)
Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[39]Inserted by the
[40]Inserted by the
[41] The following
Section was repealed by the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020):
16. Wildlife Sanctuary. (1) Government may,
by notification in the official Gazette, declare any area which is the property
of Government or over which Government has proprietary rights to be wildlife
sanctuary and may demarcate in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) The wildlife sanctuary shall be set aside
as undisturbed breeding ground for the protection of wildlife and access
thereto for public shall, except in accordance with the rules, be prohibited
and no exploitation of forest therein shall be allowed except for reducing fire
hazards, epidemic or insect attacks or other natural calamities.
(3) No person shall
(i) enter or reside,
(ii) cultivate any land,
(iii) damage or destroy any vegetation,
(iv) hunt, kill or capture any wild animal or
fire any gun or other firearm within one mile of the boundaries,
(v) introduce any exotic species of animal or
plant,
(vi) introduce any domestic animal or allow it to
stray,
(vii) cause any fire, or
(viii) pollute water, in a wildlife sanctuary:
Provided
that Government may for specific purposes, as are deemed expedient, authorise the doing of the aforementioned acts other than
those mentioned in clause (iv)
[42]Inserted by the
[43] The following
Section was repealed by the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020):
17. National park. (1) With a view to the
protection and preservation of flora and fauna in the natural state, Government
may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare any area which is the
property of Government or over which Government has proprietary rights to be a
national park and may demarcate it in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) A national
park shall be accessible to public for recreation, education and research
subject to such restrictions as Government may impose.
(3) Provision for access roads to and
construction of rest houses, hostels and other buildings in the national park
along with amenities for public may be so made and the forest therein shall be
so managed and forest produce so obtained as not to impair the object of the
establishment of the national park.
(4) The following acts shall be prohibited in a
national park,
(i) hunting, shooting, trapping, killing
or capturing of any wild animal in a national park or within one and a half
mile radius of its boundary;
(ii) firing any firearm or doing any other
act which may disturb any animal or bird or doing any act which interferes with
the breeding places;
(iii) felling, tapping, burning or in any
way damaging or destroying, taking, collecting or removing any plant or tree
therefrom;
(iv) clearing or breaking up any land for
cultivation, mining or for any other purpose; and
(v) polluting water flowing in and through
the national park:
Provided
that Government may, for specific purposes, as are deemed expedient, authorise the doing of the aforementioned prohibited acts.
[44] The following
Section was repealed by the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020):
18. Game
reserve. (1) The Government
may declare any area to be a game reserve.
(2) No hunting and shooting of a wild animal
shall be allowed in the game reserve, except under a special permit, which may
specify the maximum number of game animal that may be killed or captured, the
area and duration for which such permit shall be valid:
Provided
that the number of occasions on which hunting and shooting may be allowed shall
not exceed two in a year.
[45]Inserted by the
[46] The following section
was repealed by the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 (XXIII of 2020):
19. Alteration of boundaries of wildlife
sanctuary, national park and game reserve. Government may, from time to
time, by notification in the official Gazette, declare any alteration in the
boundaries of wildlife sanctuary, national park, and game reserve established
under this Act.
[47]Substituted by the
[48]Substituted for the following heading by the
Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
Private
game reserve, wildlife park and safari park
[49]The following omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
(a) an area
of land has been dedicated by its owner or owners, for the purposes similar to
a game reserve, it may, on the application of the owner or the owners, as the
case may be, by notification in the official gazette, declare such area to be a
private game reserve;
[50]The following sub-section was omitted by the
Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
(2) Hunting
and shooting of a wild animal by a person other than the owner shall not be
allowed in a private game reserve except with the permission of the owner and
in the prescribed manner.
[51]Substituted by the
[52]Renumbered by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[53]Substituted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025), for the following:
(i) any provision of sections 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,20 and 28 shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years or with
fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees nor more than fifteen
thousand rupees or with both, alongwith
confiscation of the weapon and
suspension of license or permit for a period of five years;
(ii) any provision of sections 16, 16-A, 17, 18 and 18-A shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year nor more than
five years or with fine which shall not be less than twenty thousand rupees nor
more than thirty thousand rupees or with both, alongwith confiscation
of the weapon, vehicle or any other
article used in such contravention; and.
[54]Inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[55]Substituted for the words as the offence by the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025
(II of 2025).
[56] New sections 22-A to 22-D, inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[57]Substituted for the
word Board by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[58]Substituted for the
word Board by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[59] New sections 30-A to 30-I, inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).
[60]The following section omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
31. Power to arrest. (1) Any officer authorised in this behalf may, without orders from a
magistrate and without a warrant, arrest any person against whom a reasonable
suspicion exists of his having been concerned in any offence under this Act.
(2) Every officer
making an arrest under this section shall, without delay and subject to the
provisions of this Act as to release on bond, take or send the person arrested
before the magistrate having jurisdiction in the case or before the
officer-in-charge of the nearest police station.
[61]The following section omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
32. Power to
release on bond a person arrested.
Any officer not below the rank of the Game Inspector or of an equivalent rank
who has arrested any person under section 31 may release such person on his
executing a bond to appear, if and when so required, before the magistrate
having jurisdiction in the case or before the officer-in-charge of the nearest
police station.
[62]The following section omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
34. Persons who may lodge complaints.
Cognizance of any offence under this Act shall not be taken by any court except
on the complaint of the officer or any person authorised
by Government in this behalf.
[63]The following section omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
35. Court which is competent to take cognizance of offences. No court inferior to that of a Magistrate of the First Class shall take
cognizance of and try an offence under this Act.
[64] The following
section was substituted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation,
Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007), and was
omitted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025):
36. Power to try offences summarily. Any Magistrate of the First Class,
specially empowered in this behalf by the Government, may try any offence
punishable under this Act in a summary manner, as provided in sections 262 to
265 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898:
Provided
that sub section (2) of section 262 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898
shall not apply.
[65]Substituted for the
words estimated by such
officer
by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
(Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007).
[66] Substituted first by
the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
(Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007), and then by the Punjab Wildlife
(Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025
(II of 2025), for the following:
(3) The
sum of money accepted as compensation under clause (a) of sub section (1)
shall, in no case exceed the sum of ten
thousand rupees in first instance and be not less than ten thousand in second
instance.
[67]Substituted by the
Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
(Amendment) Act 2007 (XII of 2007), for the word second.
[68]Inserted by the
[69] New section inserted by the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act 2025 (II of 2025).