Govt yet to approve new prices of animals, birds

Sale from zoos affected by delay in decision

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has not been able to fix new prices for sale of surplus animals and birds, especially lions and tigers, present in wildlife parks and zoos.

The Punjab wildlife department has hundreds of surplus animals and birds in various wildlife parks and zoos, including the Lahore Safari Zoo. The province has three zoos, a safari zoo and 16 wildlife parks and breeding centres. There are more than 40 big cats in Lahore's safari park alone and their care costs thousands of rupees daily.

The sale of surplus animals has been affected because of the delay in setting new prices. At present, a pair of hawk deer costs Rs75,000, blue cow Rs120,000, mouflon sheep Rs80,000 and black deer up to Rs100,000.

On September 8 last year, a meeting of the Punjab Wildlife Management Board was held after many years in which new official prices of surplus animals were proposed.

The price of adult lion was Rs150,000, whose increase to Rs1 million was proposed for male and Rs1.5 million for female lions. Similarly, the price of a four-month-old lion cub was increased from Rs100,000 to Rs500,000, while the price of four to 12 months old lion cub was suggested at Rs700,000 for male and Rs800,000 for female. The new price of male leopard was proposed at Rs4 million and female Rs5 million. The price of male tiger was suggested at Rs4.5 million and femaleRs5 million.

According to wildlife department sources, the board decided to fix the prices of animals keeping in view the market rate, for which a committee was formed. The committee was supposed to set new prices and submit a report. The summary of the new prices has to be approved first by the Punjab Wildlife Management Board and then by the chief minister.

However, breeders involved in the sale and purchase of wild animals say the prices of surplus animals proposed by the government are below the market rate but are reasonable for the kind of species the department sells. Rather than imported animals whose breed and health are of a high standard, those sold by the government are often old, sick and disabled, they claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2021.