The Supreme Court on May 8, 2023, rejected a plea seeking an approval for import of African elephants for a zoological garden in Peshawar. A three-judge SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Shahid Wahid dismissed the plea. During the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Raja Shafqat Abbasi, through a concise statement, […]
The deplorable living conditions of a rhinoceros and hippopotamus at Lahore Zoo has triggered a debate about the dearth of facilities at the zoos in Pakistan. There are 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 […]
Did you know that out of tragic necessity, India’s Mumbai Zoo is rapidly transforming into a taxidermy museum. Since they are unable to replace animals that die in their cramped and filthy cages, zoo officials have concluded that it would be better to stuff ‘expired’ animals and subsequently put them on display. Hence, the zoo’s […]
The announcement by the Punjab’s caretaker Chief Minister in July 2023 regarding the construction of new zoos with international standards in major towns, including Lahore, raises questions about the government’s priorities and the potential consequences of such a decision. Pakistan’s history with animals and zoos is indeed tainted, marked by a lack of proper care […]
Languishing in a barren cage, Rano was brought to the Karachi Zoo in 2017. Also known as the Himalayan red bear, the Himalayan brown bear is a subspecies of the brown bear found in the western Himalayas. It is the largest mammal in the region, with males reaching up to 2.2 metres (7.2 feet) in […]
In September 2023, the outbreak of the African Trypanosomiasis, a vector-borne parasitic disease among various herbivores and carnivores, which targets their blood and other vital organs like the liver, lungs and stomach, has raised concerns among veterinary experts, who fear for the lives of the animals stuck in captivity. “Many animals including lions, tigers, Urials […]
In Jan 2024, the search for four precious and rare black deer, missing from Jallo Wildlife Park in Lahore for the past four days, continues without any breakthrough. Details emerging from the investigation indicate that on the night of January 11 and 12, seven valuable black deer were stolen from Jallo Wildlife Park. While the […]
After the temporary closure of Lahore Zoo and Safari Park due to ongoing upgradation projects in late 2023, Jallo Park experienced a surge in visitors. The newly established lion safari at Jallo Forest and Wildlife Park, a first of its kind, offers a unique experience for wildlife enthusiasts. Additionally, the introduction of a zip line […]
Tigers named Radjah and Dehli, were on the loose. In a tragic incident at Bahawalpur Zoo in Dec 2023, four tigers attacked and killed an unidentified person who had entered the zoo during the night. The trespasser fell into the tiger enclosure, where the caged animals tore him apart and consumed his remains. At 11:30 […]
Friday Times/ Feb 2024/ Rina S. Khan The world over the trend is to decommission old zoos and not set up any new zoo. After all, we are living in the era of climate change, which is currently threatening a growing number of species, as a recent update of the International Union of Conservation of […]