3 leopard cubs die at Peshawar Zoo in a day

PESHAWAR: Failing to cope with the unfavourable conditions and apathy of the officials concerned, three out of four cubs of a leopard died at the recently established Peshawar Zoo on Wednesday.

It took the death toll of animals and birds at the Peshawar Zoo to 40 over the last more than three months.

A leopardess had given birth to four cubs at the zoo on April 28 last. There were reports that two cubs were weak and ill, but the zoo administration lacked the required experience and skills to handle the situation and take proper care of the cubs.

A zoo official had told this scribe that the cubs had been born prematurely. He had expressed his inability to reach the cubs as they lacked the expertise and means to take the cubs out of the cage and treat them properly.

Muhammad Ali Khan, project director of the zoo, confirmed the reports, saying: “It’s not new that the cubs of an animal have died in a zoo.”

“If every animal cub would survive, the world would be full of animals. The zoo in Lahore, Punjab was established some 150 years ago. If every cub would survive, then there would have been 60,000 leopards in Lahore Zoo by now,” he remarked.

He said that breeding in zoo was a crime 10-12 years ago, but allowed when the wildlife organisations advocated its need. “But you should know that zoos are not breeding nurseries where animals are brought to give birth here,” he opined.

In an earlier chat, the project director had told this scribe that they could not enter the cage of the leopardess to examine the cubs.

“We cannot enter the cage of the leopardess. The mothers remain very serious when it comes to taking care of their cubs and very aggressive. How could we enter her enclosure and examine and take the cubs out for medical examination,” he had asked.

“We cannot access the cubs to examine them. The mother would not let us do it. It is very risky,” he had argued.

In other countries, the zoo and the staff appointed in an animal park are provided with tranquilizer guns and injections, which are used to inject the animals to help them and their cubs in case of an emergency and providing other necessary medical care.

Others have prepared flexible cages which can be squeezed and expanded to handle an aggressive or nervous animal.

The zoo staff first shift the animal to such a cage and then tranquilize the animal or separate it from its cubs and other members of a pride, or herd, to provide it or its cubs necessary medical assistance to save their lives.

But the administration and staff at the Peshawar Zoo is not familiar with such methods.

Naimatullah Khan, the administration officer of the zoo, in a statement issued to the media said that the cubs were looking healthy and the doctors were trying to ascertain the real cause of their death.

He said that it was not possible for the doctors to approach the cubs and examine them whether they were healthy or weak.

He admitted that around 40 animals and birds have died since the inauguration of the zoo four months ago. Sources said that the snow leopard at the zoo had died of a heart attack suffered by it due to rising temperature.

They said that a deer died after suffering serious head injury while a monkey was mauled by a wolf and later died of its wounds.

The sources said that the most of the animals and birds died after contracting respiratory diseases.

An environmentalist and member Sarhad Conservation Network Adil Zareef said the environment at the zoo was not suitable for the animals. He maintained that the zoo officials should be held accountable for cruelty against the animals.

He held an appeal to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to rescue all the helpless animals and birds caged in intolerable heat and unfavourable conditions before they all die at the zoo.

He also urged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to order in investigation and Peshawar High Court to take suo moto notice of the deaths of several animals at the zoo and financial wrongdoings in the project.

Adil Zareef said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak as the head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government inaugurated the facility in haste for political point-scoring and to pocket money in the project.

He said the zoo was originally planned to be opened in 2020. He said the expert project director was made officer on special duty (OSD) for his opposition to open the incomplete zoo and replaced with a non-professional.