Two lions suffocate in botched zoo transfer

Climate change ministry launches inquiry

ISLAMABAD:

Two lions at the Islamabad Zoo suffered painful deaths at the hands of untrained caretakers who were trying to transfer them to a private lion farm in Lahore this week.

Meanwhile, the climate change ministry has launched a probe into the matter.

A graphic video of a fire being lit inside the lion’s cage to force it outside appalled residents of the capital and its authorities.

In the video, which has since gone viral, a big cat can be seen desperately moving inside the cage and injuring itself. The zoo staff are also seen using long sticks to beat it in an attempt to make it go in the desired direction.

There were reports that earlier in the week, a lioness had died due to stress and suffocation while being transferred to the sanctuary in Lahore.

So far, as many as 10 animals held at the zoo have died over the past month during attempts to transfer them to sanctuaries due to the alleged incompetence, negligence and unprofessionalism of the caretakers.

Officials said that five deer, a blue bull (Asian antelope), a lion and a lioness, as well as an ostrich, have so far died at the zoo.

Animals at the zoo are being transferred to other zoos or private sanctuaries across the country following directions from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to protect them from the mismanagement at the zoo. However, the process has proved to be deadly for some wild animals.

In May, the IHC had directed to shift all animals from Islamabad Zoo to sanctuaries, local or abroad, due to the poor state of the zoo.

Safari Park’s 14 lions sold due to lack of food

The court had also handed over the management of the zoo to Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) from Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).

Experts had blamed the incompetence of the staff as well as the hot weather conditions the main reason for frequent fatalities of wild animals during transportation.

Despite repeated attempts, IWMB Chairman Dr Anis could not be contacted for comments.

Inquiry

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) has set up a high-level inquiry committee to probe the deaths of animals at the Islamabad Zoo.

A statement issued by the ministry on Thursday said that committee will be chaired by the MoCC Additional Secretary Joudat Ayaz, and it will look into the causes of the recent deaths of animals at the zoo including lions, ostrich and other animals if any.

Muhammad Saleem, the ministry’s media focal person and deputy director, said that the IHC had tasked IWMB to ensure the safe and harmless transfer of animals from the zoo to wildlife sanctuaries. But, it has been brought to the notice of the ministry that deaths have occurred due to poor management and poor feeding arrangements over which the ministry was quite concerned, he said.

Crippled lion pair euthanised at Lahore’s Safari Zoo​​​​​​​

Separately, WWF-Pakistan condemned the ill-treatment of the lion kept at the Islamabad Zoo and expressed concerns over the videos appearing on social media.

“It is absolutely abhorrent and unacceptable to treat any animal this way,” it said in a statement. WWF-Pakistan has expressed its disappointment to IWMB and hopes that those who are responsible will be brought to justice for this repulsive act. In the wake of this incident, as a protest, WWF-Pakistan has also stepped down from the board of the IWMB, of which it has been a member for several years.

Although WWF is aware that there are risks when a wild animal is moved from one facility to another, there is no excuse for the treatment of an animal as seen in the videos.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2020.