Zoo to attach prosthetic limb to Arabian addax

This is the first time such an experiment has been conducted at the facility

LAHORE: The leg of a special breed of Arabian addax was amputated at the Lahore Safari Zoo on Monday after it’s the fractured in its leg, caused by a recent accident, failed to heal. Zoo officials are hoping to replace the limb with a prosthetic.

Lahore Safar Zoo Deputy Director Chaudhry Shafqat shared that the fractured leg was treated at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore. The leg was plastered to heal the injury, but failed to do so. As a result, the officials were forced into amputating the leg cut to save the animal’s life and efforts are afoot to replace it with an artificial limb. “For the first time, an experiment to attach an artificial limb will be performed at the zoo.”

At present, there are three addaxes of special breeds at the recreational spot. The one who fractured his back leg in the accident was the biggest of the creatures.

No allocation

A development budget has not been allocated for Safari Park for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Therefore, the projects of security-related projects, the night safari and boundary wall of the zoo will be delayed. The former Punjab government presented the idea of a night safari zoo which was reiterated by the incumbent regime. However, there has been no monetary allocation to turn the project into a reality.

Shafqat pointed out that Rs21 million have been earmarked for the Safari Park in the budget, but this amount has to go to a contractor of the zoo, as per the orders of the Lahore High Court. He also said no funds have been allocated for the completion of the ongoing projects. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2019.