Punjab Wild Life Preservation Act, 1959

No: 14 Dated: Apr, 28 1959

THE PUNJAB WILD LIFE PRESEERVATION ACT, 1959

Punjab Act No. 14 of 1959

    An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the protection and preservation of wild birds and wild animals.

    Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Tenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Wild Life Preservation Act, 1959.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2. Application of Act. - This Act shall, subject to the provisions herein after appearing, apply to all wild birds and wild animals whether in their wild state or in captivity, and whether found in or brought into Punjab.

3. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(1) "animal" means an animal which suckles its young;

(2) "close season" means the period other than that specified in column 5 of Schedules II and III or the period altered under clause (ii) of section 6;

(3) "flesh" includes fat, blood, raw or cooked meat and bones;

(4) "Forest Officer" means an officer defined as such in the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or the Patiala Forest Act, 1999 BK;

(5) "licence" or "permit" means a licence or permit granted under this Act;

(6) "Schedule" means a Schedule appended to this Act;

(7) "trophy" means the durable part of a wild bird or wild animal which has been preserved by any means, whether natural or artificial, and includes the head, horn, tooth, tusk, bone, claw, hoof, chin, hair or feather, eggs or nest of any bird, but does not include any article manufactured from any such part of the bird or animal as aforesaid;

(8) "wild animal" includes the flesh or any part of the animal and "wild bird" includes the flesh of the bird or its eggs or egg shells;

(9) "Wild Life Officer" means any person whom the State Government or an officer authorised by it in this behalf may from time to time appoint for performing the functions assigned to Wild Life Officer under this Act or the rules made thereunder;

(10) "Wild Life Sanctuary" means any area declared by the State Government to be a sanctuary under Section 8.