Animals should be kept in natural habitat where they can live freely: SHC

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday observed that animals should not be kept in cages but they should be kept in a natural habitat where they can live freely.

Hearing a petition with regard to shifting of brown bear Rano from the Karachi Zoo to an Islamabad wildlife park, a division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro expressed concern over lack of proper facilities in the Karachi Zoo and observed that there were no zoos in the world like ours.

The high court observed that animals should be kept in national parks to allow them to live freely instead of locking them up in small cages.

The SHC inquired a zoo director how many veterinary experts were available to take care of the animals.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) counsel submitted that there was just one veterinary expert available in the Karachi Zoo because new appointments could not be made due to the ban on recruitment.

The bench directed the KMC counsel to submit a report with regard to the number of animals in the zoo and their condition on the next date of hearing.

The KMC’s counsel informed the high court that necessary arrangements had been made to shift the Rano bear from the Karachi Zoo to a sanctuary in Islamabad and sought further time to comply with the court orders with regard to shifting of the bear.

A senior director of the zoo submitted a report before the SHC with regard to the shifting of Rano and stated that the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had issued necessary instructions for the safe travel of Rano.

He submitted that the KMC had been in contact with the PIA for safe air travel of Rano, civil aviation clearance and other necessary protocols.

The SHC directed the KMC counsel to submit a compliance report and provide details of the animals kept in the zoo.

It is pertinent to mention that the SHC had ordered shifting of Rano from the zoo to a bear sanctuary managed by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), as the brown bear was without a companion. The other bear at the zoo died way back in 2020.

The petitioner’s counsel Jibran Nasir said an expert committee report had unanimously found the brown bear to be under stress, and recommended her immediate relocation to the Chakwal sanctuary until her DNA sequencing was conducted to identify her exact species.

Nasir said the expert committee, which comprised qualified experts in wildlife, veterinary care and ecology, had made specific and time-sensitive recommendations, including Rano’s immediate relocation to the sanctuary, and further steps contingent upon the DNA confirmation of her sub-species.