Ban slapped on import of exotic mammals

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman and the CITES Management Authority Board on Friday decided to ban the import of all exotic mammals into the country.

Speaking to the attendees of the board meeting, the minister said the import of exotic mammals was becoming a serious problem in Pakistan.

“This import is against the natural rights of an animal species to deprive them of their habitats especially when we cannot provide them the specified accommodation needed, merely for personal entertainment purposes. Confining these mammals to cages, zoos, and private residences affect their mating patterns, putting them at risk of abuse, either voluntary or inadvertent,” she said.

The minister also said with a change in their accommodations, those mammals ended up dying lonely and painful deaths.

She said the ban would include CITES and Non-CITES-listed mammals, elephants, and wild big cats like lions, tigers, and leopards. "There will also be a ban on the export of local species of birds (live, parts, and derivatives) on a commercial basis," she said.

She said it was not only our humane duty to protect the biodiversity of the earth we share with other species but also our responsibility especially after we have destroyed countless habitats and ecosystems for our food, housing, and industries.

"We will not be issuing any NOCs (No Objection Certificate) to any zoo or private owner for any exotic mammal to be brought to Pakistan. It is against all laws of nature to import any exotic mammal, big or small, and throw them into spaces where they neither grow nor survive, therefore by consensus the board has decided that no NOCs will be allowed for those who attempt to continue such practices," she said.