JAIPUR: The hunting of Houbara bustards through falconry in Pakistani areas close to the Indian border is a violation of international bird conservation legislation. Though Houbara is not endangered but it is considered vulnerable according to International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN. These birds are hunted by members of Arab royal families with permission from the government of Pakistan.
A Jaipur-based environmental group, Tourism and Wildlife Society of India (TWSI), has now sought the intervention of Union external affairs ministry to put pressure on Pakistan to ban hunting of rare Houbara bustards, which has drastically reduced India's share of its annual winter migrants and affected the desert eco-system.