Court hears petition about a bear cub caged without its mother

The Sindh High Court directed on Saturday relevant authorities to form a five-member committee, comprising veterinary doctors and other clinical experts, over a plea against keeping a bear cub without its mother in the Karachi Zoological Garden.

The zoo administration submitted a report in the court, stating that Rano, the bear cub, was being kept in a good condition.

The petitioner's counsel, on the other hand, claimed that the report submitted by the Karachi Zoo administration was misguiding and based on false claims, adding that Rano was not in good condition.

The court directed the committee to submit a detailed report in two weeks after inspecting the Karachi Zoological Gardens and four other similar projects that are underway.

On Thursday, the court had ordered the zoo administration to shift Rano, who was reportedly being kept in a small cage, to an environment similar to its natural habitat. The cub is separated from its mother, who is in Skardu.

Earlier this week, the zoo management had also drawn criticism over the care of a different brown bear that appeared to be languishing in the heat in a video that went viral on social media.

Wildlife conservators and experts criticised the zoo authorities for keeping the bear in unfavourable conditions, demanding that it be shifted to a more favourable environment immediately. Officials from the Sindh Wildlife Department told The Express Tribune that the bear should be kept in much cooler conditions.