The deteriorating health of the animals has caught my attention
KARACHI: The Karachi zoo, which is one of the oldest establishments of the city, is directly working under the control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation — and yet, it doesn’t seem like any authority is overseeing its welfare.
By no means do I mean to disgrace the zoo; it has stunning botanical gardens, and a collection of exotic birds from all over Pakistan and abroad, which delight visitors. The place is clearly a popular hangout for people from different walks of life, but that being said, the deteriorating health of the animals has caught my attention.
The zoo is home to some of the most fine-looking animals, such as white lions and the absolutely striking tabby tiger. However, one cannot overlook the state in which some of these animals are living in. For instance, the only zebra the zoo owns is not only living in a perpetual state of solitude, it does not even have enough space to move about.
Don’t the zoologists at our zoo (if there are any!) realise that zebras are creatures associated with living in large groups, as opposed to stuffy surroundings, where they are clearly in a continual state of agitation?
Another aspect which caught my eye and left me feeling gloomy was how malnourished most of the animals appeared to be. The tigers, for example, were clearly underweight and looked to be living on their last reserves of energy with little or no movement.
The male lion also appeared to be suffering from some sort of ailment affecting its coat as it was missing patches of hair in places. I urge the authorities to take immediate action to alleviate the plight of these animals, instead of making money by putting them on display.
Yasir Qamar
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2016.
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