Selling of wildlife

Animals have as much rights as humans and all living things must be treated with a certain sense of dignity. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, these rights have long remained unacknowledged and are blatantly violated. The dilapidated state of zoos across the country and the horrific treatment of animals is a case in point.

The Lahore Safari Zoo has decided to auction off a dozen lions — aged between two to five years old — to private collectors on August 11 in order to free up some space for big cats that were rapidly multiplying. The starting bid for each cat will be at Rs150,000 but it is expected to go up to two million rupees. In order to ensure the safety of animals, interested buyers will be registered and will have to show means for proper care and shelter of the animal. The Zoo’s Deputy Director hopes that this will help decrease the feeding cost for meat in the zoo, and that funds can be used wisely.

The decision has of course raised concerns as conservationists as well as environmental and animal rights groups have expressed their displeasure at the idea of selling wildlife species. Instead, a more suitable option would have been to shift them to centers where they are properly taken care off. By initiating the selling of wildlife animals, authorities are setting a dangerous precedence. Not only will this create a culture of animal selling in zoos across the country, whereby officials may forcefully breed animals, but it will indirectly encourage poaching and trade of wildlife.

There must be a no-leniency policy with regard to the selling of wildlife animals as it goes against conservation and sustainability. There is still time for officials to rethink their decision and take the right step to uphold the sanctity of living creatures.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.