Fears grow over health of rhinoceros, hippopotamus

As the animal’s rights discourse gains popularity in Pakistan given the unfortunate death of elephant Noor Jehan, the deplorable living conditions of a rhinoceros and hippopotamus at Lahore Zoo has triggered a new debate about the dearth of facilities at animal enclosures in the country.

Following the passing of Noor Jehan in Karachi Zoo, animal rights advocates, from the state and the civil society, have come forth to highlight the loopholes and systemic inadequacies of zoos across the country, which are neither able to mimic the natural habitat of the mammals nor provide them with the required nutrition.

“Sadly, the mammals in our zoos are kept in an unfamiliar environment, in terms of their enclosures and diets, and are also handled by untrained zookeepers, leading many towards an early death,” regretted Ghazanfar Ali Langah, wildlife expert and former deputy director of Punjab Wildlife.

Langah’s claims are supported by the fact that Suzi, the only elephant of Lahore Zoo passed away in 2017 at the age of 31, whereas a female rhinoceros and male hippopotamus, passed away prematurely in between 2014 and 2015.

It is pertinent to mention that the Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur had also brought in a pair of male and female rhinoceros, only to witness them breathing their last in 2019.

Even though the deceased hippopotamus and rhinoceros at Lahore Zoo have been survived by their mates, the extreme level of isolation and the poor living conditions, have left the lives of the only hippopotamus in the province and the only African rhinoceros in the country, on thin ice.

When quizzed about the probable cause behind the high mortality rate of the wildlife mammals, Dr Zulfiqar Ali, wildlife biologist and Head of Department of the Punjab University’s Zoology Department said, “wild animals like elephants, rhinoceros and hippopotamus move around in groups in their natural environment in the jungle.

When they are kept in suboptimal conditions in zoos, where they are isolated and restricted in their movement, they can easily become depressed and develop health issues.”

Dr Zulfiqar further attributed the death of the large animals in zoos to the lack of modern medical facilities, which prevent regular health check-ups and scans for ailing animals.

While Dr Zulfikar’s assertion might be descriptive of the on-round reality for zoos across the country, Kiran Salim, Deputy Director of Lahore Zoo, believes that it does not apply to Lahore Zoo.

“Every three months, we take blood samples from big cats like lions and tigers and also schedule private X-ray scans on an ad hoc basis,” claimed Kiran. However, the Deputy Director conceded that the facilities did not exist for the endangered hippopotamus and rhinoceros.

Despite Kiran’s admission, speaking to The Express Tribune on the future of zoos in the country, a wildlife expert opined, “while it would be unfair to demand a complete elimination of zoos from the country, given that they are a major source of entertainment for many families, crucial changes and advancements are utterly important in order to protect endangered species.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2023.