Zoo administration told to reply to plea seeking natural habitat for animals

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the provincial law officer, the Karachi Zoological Gardens’ administration and others on a petition seeking natural habitat for the animals housed at the city’s zoo.

S Yahya Ahmed of a non-governmental organisation said in his petition that the zoological gardens’ administration is primarily responsible for causing a significant damage to the animals housed at the zoo. Ahmed said that there have been reports of deaths and illnesses of animals at the zoo but the administration is reluctant to disclose the health conditions of the animals.

He said that the lioness is not being kept in its natural habitat at the zoo and seems to be excessively fatigued, while the monkeys are being kept in extremely small cages and do not receive adequate care.

He also said that the zoo’s administration has not made any attempt to recreate the tiger’s natural habitat and its enclosure evidently serves as a cage rather than a sanctuary. He called for the administration to be held accountable to the public as well as to be ordered to investigate and reform its practices and procedure to improve the safety and maintenance of the zoo in accordance with international standards.

He pointed out that the administration has failed to maintain a standard of quality and safety in line with the laws of Pakistan as well as with international customs and practices. The petitioner said that the animals at the zoo are being subjected to negligence and inhumane conditions, and that their treatment is in utter violation and disregard of Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890.

He requested that the court direct the zoological gardens’ administration to submit a list of the existing animals and a list of those that have died over the past decade, as well as the medical records of the animals currently and formerly housed at the zoo.

He also requested that the court change the status of the zoo to a wildlife sanctuary and order the hiring of an experienced independent veterinary surgeon to conduct the health assessment of the animals currently housed at the zoo.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar issued notices to the provincial law officer and the zoo administration, telling them to file their comments on March 10.

Bear cub

On December 23 last year the SHC had ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the administration of the Karachi Zoological Gardens to start the required procedure to shift a cub of the Syrian brown bear species to its new habitat at the zoo.

The direction came on a petition filed by Mashal Khan and others seeking orders for the zoo’s administration to keep the cub named Ranoo in its natural habitat. They said Ranoo requires special attention for its survival at the zoo.

They claimed the bear has been forcibly separated from its parents, which amounts to cruelty because the animal is still too young to survive without its parents, and that too in the severely hot Karachi weather that is very different from the cub’s natural habitat.

They said Syrian brown bears can only survive in a cold atmosphere and stay healthy in a habitat of snow, forests, grasslands and meadows of mountainous regions, adding that due to a lack of such an environment, brown bears have gone extinct in countries like Syria and the neighbouring region.

They requested that the court order the zoo’s administration to immediately transfer the cub to Skardu, where it can be reunited with its family in its natural habitat, and to ensure proper maintenance of hygiene, living conditions and health care of all the other animals at the Karachi zoo.

They also sought the forming of a committee comprising animal welfare community and zoo experts holding appropriate qualifications to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the zoo and submit recommendations in accordance with applicable international zoo standards for implementation so proper management and care of animals at the city’s zoo can be ensured.

The petitioners’ counsel Mohsin Shahwani invited the court’s attention to the report pertaining to the zoo prepared by a team of experts, who recommend that the cub be shifted to an adjacent cage that has over 500 per cent more space and a good natural setting.

He said the report suggests that the cage will have to be completely overhauled with new fencing, extensive landscaping inside in all three dimensions, water supply and strong safety features.

He also said that in view of such recommendations as interim measures, the cage can be overhauled and the cub be shifted to its new habitat. The KMC’s counsel accorded his consent in the matter.

An SHC division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan directed the KMC and the zoo administration to start the required procedure to implement the suggestions made in the report.

The court said that it is also expected from the zoo administration that they will make sure all the animals at the zoo are kept in a healthy and safe environment.