All of God’s creatures

Case of lions death has highlighted the abject regard we have for animals, especially the exotic kind

As if the pain of the animals, trapped by us in our zoos with scant care, was not enough, these speechless creatures have been made pawns in the hands of those who should be rather taking the best care of them. Two of these animals, a lion and a lioness, recently perished at the hands of untrained zoo staff who were trying to shift them from the Capital’s Marghazar Zoo. The Islamabad High Court took notice of the deaths and directed fixing responsibility. But the authorities dragged their feet over the matter, instead filing a case against unidentified people.

The court has now decided to proceed against Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, the climate change secretary and officials from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) who were part of a board responsible for the relocation of the zoo animals to various sanctuaries within and outside the country on court orders. The court had further remarked that the various agencies of the city — including the IWMB, the Capital Development Authority, the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation and even the Climate Change Ministry — had been vying for control of the zoo and claiming credit, but no one was ready to do anything for the animals there. In effect, the court suggested that the zoo and its animals had been turned into a political pawn.

The entire case has highlighted the abject regard we have for animals, especially the exotic kind. Whether it is the authorities responsible for the zoo or the visitors, a few actually care about the well-being of the animals beyond their own need for entertainment. The court is right in its observation that this attitude of certain quarters is reflective of the deeper malaise plaguing us as a country. Perhaps it is time for the honourable court to take a stern view of the matter and jolt those in power to become cognizant of their responsibility towards all of God’s creatures.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2020.

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