Dhi Qar officials release migratory pelican

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Environmental officials released a great white pelican into Al-Chibayish Marshes in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province after rescuing it from fishing nets, the Environment Ministry said on Friday.

A resident handed the trapped bird over to the Environmental Protection Police, the ministry said. Veterinary specialists then examined it to assess its condition before officials from the Dhi Qar Environment Directorate and environmental police released it into a suitable habitat.

The great white pelican visits the region during winter migration and plays a role in the marshes' ecosystem.

Iraq sits along a major bird migration route connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa, with at least 19 globally threatened bird species recorded in the country. In July 2026, Iraq’s Strategic Center for Human Rights cited International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) data showing that 134 species faced extinction risks, largely due to environmental degradation, water shortages, illegal hunting, and other human activities.

Read more: Drought and poaching threaten wildlife in Iraq's desert