Brown bear ordeal

A brown bear, whose natural habitat is cold regions, has been kept in captivity at Karachi Zoo where it naturally feels the heat unbearable. The ordeal of the animal came to light after a video went viral on social media. The public has expressed outrage at the harsh conditions under which the poor animal has been forced to live. Feeling the heat stifling, the lonely creature roams around all day inside its enclosure looking outside through a window with the wish in its eyes to get back to its natural cold habitat and live freely with other animals. The bear is certainly not feeling comfortable and visitors to the zoo say it also looks unhealthy. They say local black bears, though different from the brown one, which are not kept in cages are healthy and show no worries. A zoo employee has also admitted that the bear is being kept in uncomfortable conditions.

Wildlife experts visiting the zoo to see the condition of the bear have criticised the zoo management for keeping the animal in highly uncomfortable conditions. The experts insist that in the first place the bear should not have been brought here because brown bears are not accustomed to live in hot weather as they are native to cold regions. At this time of the year, they say, these bears go into hibernation for five months in their natural cold habitat where in this part of the year it is freezing cold. The bear needs to be provided that kind of atmosphere: it should be kept in a dark air-conditioned room. It appears under-fed so it should be given proper and sufficient food. However, the best option is to shift the animal to a better place or to release it back into its natural habitat.

It is sad that animals are kept at zoos without considering whether the local conditions are suitable for them or not. It is no fun to keep animals cooped up.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2020.

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