Tag: brown bear

  • Sindh High Court orders for Rano to be moved to an open cage

    Sindh High Court orders for Rano to be moved to an open cage

    The Sindh High Court has ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Karachi Zoo administration to shift Rano from her 25-foot wide Victorian ‘grotto’ pit to another open cage, reportedly 500 times bigger than her current enclosure.

    According to a report in Samaa News, the court ordered authorities to immediately shift the 20-year-old Syrian brown bear, who has been living a solitary life for the last three years. The instructions, recommended by a five-member team formed to evaluate the condition of the bear and the zoo, were passed on an interim basis until a final decision is taken.

    It has been reported that the new cage is spread over 2,100 square feet and is on ground level, unlike her previous enclosure which was an underground pit. However, it too requires some improvisations.

    Rano’s plight had sparked nationwide protests in the summer following which 38 people signed a petition filed in the Sindh High Court by Barrister Mohsin Shahwani on October 1, 2020. In the application, the petitioners had highlighted the animal’s plight and had alleged that the bear was not being well taken care of and was not being fed on time. The petition has demanded Rano be sent back to Skardu so that she can be among her own.

    Read more – Celebrities express outrage over condition of brown bear in Karachi Zoo

    In the successive hearing on October 5, the court had instructed KMC to install an air-cooler inside Rano’s enclosure to provide her some relief. It also ordered authorities to present the zoo’s budget and details of details, expressing anger over the fact that there was only one doctor for all animals at the zoo.

    According to animal experts, Rano is suffering from emotional and psychological distress which is why she is often seen panting heavily and roaming in circles. The Society for the Protection of Animal Rights (SPAR) is hopeful that Rano, in her new temporary cage, is able to move around easily, explore and play with items of an enrichment program, be able to see zoo activities, birds, trees and other animals and have a less lonely, stressed life.

    Islamabad zoo shuts down

    Meanwhile, Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo — which drew international condemnation for its treatment of lonely elephant Kaavan — shut down on December 16 after its final occupants Babloo and Suzie were relocated to a sanctuary inJordan.

    As per details, the Himalayan brown bears suffer from psychological problems due to living in a substandard enclosure, with the female Suzie undergoing major surgery in the summer after a tumour was removed from her chest. Local vets were unable to stitch up seven inches open cut in the centre of her chest and she developed an infection. Four Paws vets, who arrived in August, operated on Suzie again and cleaned the infected wound. This was also the reason why sanctuaries within Pakistan refused to take them in.

    “She is now recovering and healthy. Both bears are doing well physically now that we have put them on a better nutritional diet of fruits and vegetables. Suzie had diarrhoea all the time because she was mostly fed milk,” a spokesperson for Four Paws, Marion Lombard had told local media outlets.

    Several celebrities including Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mehwish Hayat have called for zoos across the country to be shut down given the mistreatment of animals there.

  • Jordanian princess adopts Islamabad Zoo’s brown bears

    Jordanian princess adopts Islamabad Zoo’s brown bears

    Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo’s two Himalayan brown bears are all set to fly to Jordan in 10 days, while Kaavan, the zoo’s lone elephant, is expected to leave for Cambodia by the end of November.

    According to reports, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) Chairman Dr Anisur Rehman has said that the two bears, including their import and export permits, are ready. He said that he is confident that the bears will receive better psychological and physical treatment in the sanctuary abroad.

    “The bear sanctuary is looked after by the (Jordanian) king’s aunt, Princess Alia, and she has given us an import permit within a day,” shared Dr Rehman.

    Dr Rehman also shared that they have also received the import permit for Kaavan which means the Cambodian government is willing to accept and introduce the 45-year-old elephant into one of its sanctuaries.

    “This is the first time that animals from Pakistan are being taken abroad for rest and recreation and health recovery,” Dr Rehman shared, adding: “The government realises that animals need first-class attention, which these captive animals will receive.”

    Suzi

    However, the bears are not being moved to Jordan permanently. According to Dr Rehman, the bears will be flown back to Islamabad once they have fully recovered and their enclosures at Islamabad Zoo are ready. Animals at the Islamabad Zoo are being relocated to temporary sanctuaries after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that the zoo is not fit enough for them and lacks the necessary facilities.

    Both the Himalayan brown bears suffer from psychological problems due to living in a substandard enclosure, with the female undergoing major surgery due to her critical condition. This was also the reason why sanctuaries within Pakistan refused to take them in.

    Dr Frank Goritz, head veterinarian at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin, treats Suzi on Sept. 22

    Meanwhile, Friends of Islamabad Zoo (FIZ), who have been campaigning for the animals, appreciated the decision to move the bears to Jordan. In a note posted to social media, they addressed those who said that the bears should have been moved to a local sanctuary instead of an international one.

    “Both the bears have no teeth and have been dependent on humans since birth,” wrote the animal rights body. “They will not be able to survive wild in the Deosai Plains and will need constant care.”

    “Other than that from what we were told, Deosai now has 76 bears and adding two bears with no experience of living with other bears won’t be able to survive and will need to be kept confined.”

    FIZ said that Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife is the ideal place for the two bears because it is located 3500 feet above sea level, double the height of Islamabad and is climatically suited to Himalayan brown bears. They added that their facilities are top-class and the bears will be well taken care of there.

    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1319317671016529920?s=20
  • The plight of the brown bear in Islamabad Zoo

    The plight of the brown bear in Islamabad Zoo

    Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo has time and time again landed itself in hot waters over the inadequate treatment given to the animals who reside there. In the last few years, the zoo has seen the demise of over 20 animals and animal rights activists have often criticised the government for its lack of attention towards the zoo.

    The zoo has recently come under fire again because of a Himalayan brown bear who is in a sorry condition and has multiple injuries. The source of her injuries are not known but zoo authorities say Soozi got her face and right leg injured during mating, which is apparently a common phenomenon. Zoo authorities claim that the bear is being treated for injuries and that the wounds have almost healed up but pictures and videos on social media paint a different picture.

    As per social media, the matter first came to light when PAWS Pakistan posted a video of the Himalayan brown bear limping and nursing an open wound.

    https://twitter.com/pawspakistan/status/1138532356598509568

    Soozi is being kept in a small cage, which barely fits her, restricting her movement. The zoo director said that keeping the injured animal in a small cage was “necessary for her proper treatment” and that the veterinary doctor recommended it.

    https://twitter.com/wildpakistan/status/1142079219033354240

    Even then, the enclosure where Soozi and her partner, Balu, are kept is not suitable for such animals. In fact, most of the enclosures in the zoo are inadequate and reportedly do not meet the standard operating procedure (SOP). The lion’s enclosure is also too small as is that of Kavaan, the lone elephant.

    According to media reports, the government is considering transferring the administration of the facility to the Ministry of Climate Change. A few months ago, Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul had requested the government to hand over the zoo’s administration to them. Meanwhile, a case regarding the conditions of the Islamabad zoo is currently ongoing in the Islamabad High Court.

    Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz stated that maximum facilities were being provided in the given funds and that the government has not allocated any funds to the zoo. In fact, the PTI government has even dropped a project by the PML-N government worth Rs200 million for strengthening and upgrading the zoo.