Shifting of lionesses out of zoo recommended

Medical examination of all wild animals to be conducted

KARACHI:

Dr Amir Khalil of the Four Paws International, a global animal welfare organisation, has recommended that the lionesses at the Karachi zoo should be shifted elsewhere due to their poor health conditions.

The recommendation came nearly a week after Noor Jahan, the endeared elephant that caught media attention due to its illness, died allegedly due to lack of proper health care facilities at the zoo.

“We have collected blood samples of the lionesses for screening,” Dr Khalil told The Express Tribune.

“One of them, which is 20 years’ old is suffering from eye disease. The lionesses are not in good health. All of them should be shifted out of the zoo,” he added.

Dr Khalil further said that Madhubala, another elephant at the zoo, will be shifted to the Safari Park in coming weeks.

He added that the medical examination, including blood tests, of other animals would also be conducted step by step.

Dr Khalil went on to say that the deer at Safari Park and the puma pair at Landhi zoo would also be medically examined, so that their lives could be saved by timely diagnosis of any medical condition they may have and by taking precautionary measures.

Karachi Zoo Director Kunwar Ayub has been assigned to build an enclosure for Madhubala in front of the enclosure of Sonia and Malika at Safari Park.

She is being moved out of the zoo to provide her a spacious place where the mammoth can live comfortably.

“The zoo needs to do more for the good health of its animals. Its staff needs to be trained in how to care for the elephants,” he added.

“We have to show to people that it is possible in Pakistan to create a good place for animals instead of moving them abroad.”

Extraordinary measures have also been put in place for the health of the rare species of animals at Karachi zoo, Safari Park, and Landhi zoo on the orders of Karachi’s administrator, Saif-ur-Rehman.

Rehman said that blood tests of the lionesses at Karachi zoo have been taken. Some of the samples would be sent to a laboratory in Lahore.

Anesthetising a lioness is a very difficult task. The elephants, Sonia and Malika, have also been medically examined. Blood tests of the other animals will also be conducted after those of the lionesses and elephants. The post-mortem report of Noor Jahan will also be received soon.