Tag: lions

  • Govt ministers come forward to aid elephant Noor Jehan, address poor facilities at Karachi Zoo

    Social media got together to raise its voice for Noor Jehan, one of the elephants at Karachi Zoo, who was suffering from a joint and bone disease which had left her hind legs completely paralyzed. Pictures of the distressed elephant emerged on Twitter, prompting animal rights activists to demand that the government help with proper treatment and for her to be sent to an elephant sanctuary.

    Government officials have responded with Salman Sufi, Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms, and Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah pledging to provide immediate medical aid, as well as monitor reports of poor facilities at Karachi Zoo.

    Sufi shared a screenshot of Noor Jehan’s medical test on Twitter, writing that Karachi administration was keeping in touch with Four Paws, a global animal welfare organization that focuses on improving the living conditions of animals.

    “Thank you to everyone who keeps raising voice for #NoorJehan Her tests are being conducted regularly and so is the checkup. Karachi administration has assured of their cooperation with four paws. Team from Punjab wildlife is also arriving this week. We will keep pursuing.”

    The Current reached out to Sufi to ask how Noor Jehan is being provided with medical treatment and his response was:

    “Four Paws have been invited to assess the elephant and Wildlife Punjab has also been sent to assist them. Safari Park Karachi special room is also being constructed for her and regular tests are also being conducted.”

    When asked about whether the government is taking action on reports of negligence, especially food supply because of which many animals and birds were reportedly left to starve, Sufi said:

    “We are monitoring those reports and have requested the Karachi administration. Government of Sindh is actively pursuing this issue as well.”

    In regards to the vocal call by activists to shift Noor Jehan to an elephant sanctuary, Sufi responded that they would be following the doctor’s orders on what is best for the elephant.

    Nasir Hussain Shah visited Karachi Zoo on Monday, where he stated that an inquiry regarding the reports that food supply for animals had been cut off had been initiated and revealed that no such issues were found. He said that a team of doctors is arriving from Vienna. The government is in contact with them to provide the elephant with all the resources she needs.

    Yesterday, The News reported that Sindh Governor Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori made a visit to Karachi Zoo, where he told reporters that allegations regarding political support to the zoo staff was false, and action shall be taken against anyone found guilty for spreading this rumor. Moreover, Tessori also revealed that the government was holding an inquiry over the treatment and care of Noor Jehan.

  • VIDEO: Kashif Zameer beats pet lion

    A video of Kashif Zameer beating his pet lion has gone viral on social media.

    JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter shared the video of Zameer beating his pet lion as two women stand on the side and watch him.

    Sharing the video, the animal rights body questioned why regular citizens are allowed licenses to keep such exotic and wild animals as pets in their homes.

    https://twitter.com/jfkshelter/status/1392170494389063688

    Earlier this month a video of a man torturing a lion cub had gone viral on social media. Pakistan’s relaxed wildlife laws and the ability for everyone to secure a license allows such distressing acts to take place.

    Read more – PEMRA fines ‘Time Out with Ahsan Khan’ Rs 500,000 for using animals as props

    Lawyer and activist Hassaan Niazi commenting under JFK’s tweet said that he working with the wildlife and law ministry to introduce stricter laws for animal abuse.

    Zameer has remained a controversial figure in Pakistan ever since he hosted Diriliş: Ertuğrul star Engin Altan Düzyatan in Lahore and later duped him. While Zameer initially trashed the rumours saying that Engin had assured him that the deal will not be disbanded, Düzyatan, in a statement on February 16 said, that he no longer represents Zameer’s Chaudhry Group of Industries as brand ambassador.

    Meanwhile, in February Zameer was also accused of attempting to kidnap YouTuber Ali Virk.

  • Two lions to be put to rest in Lahore Zoo

    The Lahore Zoo administration has decided to euthanise a pair of lions because they are suffering from a terminal illness.

    According to reports, the administration considering their health conditions has decided to put them to rest, as the pair has reached their maximum age limit.

    “Both of them are ill from the past several days and could not be treated or cured,” said an official of the zoo, adding that x-ray and ultrasound reports of the pair present proof of their poor health conditions.

    The official further said that “a tiger, brown bear and a zebra are also suffering from a crippling disease and a decision to euthanise them will be taken in the next meeting.”

    Earlier, in February, two white tigers cubs aged three months died in Lahore Zoo. They were reportedly suffering from COVID-19.

    Meanwhile, this is not the first incident of mistreatment of animals by zoo authorities in Pakistan. In December 2020, Peshawar Zoo lost its fourth giraffe in 2020, just a few days after a black bear’s death.

    On the other hand, Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo — which drew international condemnation for its treatment of lonely elephant Kaavan — shut down in December 2020 after its final occupants Babloo and Suzie were relocated to Jordan.

  • Fear in Karachi after five lions escape from farmhouse

    Fear in Karachi after five lions escape from farmhouse

    Five lions are on the loose near Gulshan-e-Hadeed in Karachi after they escaped from a private farmhouse.

    According to reports, five out of six lions escaped from a farmhouse and attacked the dogs of that place. 

    After escaping, the lions entered a nearby seminary spreading fear and panic among the citizens. Residents of the area called Bin Qasim police and wildlife authorities to handle the situation.

    Provincial Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mehar reached the area to manage the efforts to find and catch the escaped lions. While speaking to a local media outlet he said, “We sent our experts to the area as soon as we received reports of lions’ escape.”

    He lamented that keeping lions at the farmhouse is an illegal activity but there is no definitive law forbidding people from keeping wild animals at their place.

    “Sindh Assembly has passed a law to regulate the presence of wild animals at private places, however, it is yet to be enacted,” he said while remembering that last year one person was also seen roaming with a lion on a Karachi street.

    After an hour-long search operation, wildlife experts finally caught the lions.

    The provincial wildlife conservator said that they have called the lions’ owner on Wednesday (today) to take action against him.

    Meanwhile, the owner of the lions, while speaking to Independent Urdu, dismissed the reports and said that this was all a fake news.

    “Only one of my animals got out of the cage,” said the owner.

    He claimed that though the lions did escape their cages, they did not go out of their vicinity.

    “All our animals are tamed and do not harm anyone,” he added. “We will be charged for the negligence of one of our workers.”

    “We have a farm and have a permit for that,” he explained further. “The license is not been renewed because we did not find it appropriate to visit the office due to coronavirus.”

    “Wildlife department official visited the place last night and recorded all evidence.”

  • FIR registered against those involved in setting fire to lions cage at Islamabad Zoo

    FIR registered against those involved in setting fire to lions cage at Islamabad Zoo

    Following the death of two lions – a male and female – at the Islamabad Zoo, DIG Operations Islamabad announced that an FIR (first information report) has been registered against those who set fire to the cage. According to details, the lions were injured due to mismanagement of caretakers who were trying to force them out of the cage by igniting a fire in their cage.

    https://twitter.com/DigIslamabad/status/1288902662960713728?s=20

    Advisor to the Prime Minister for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam also expressed his shock over the matter and said that an emergency meeting of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has been called to discuss the issue.

    Read more – Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    In a video doing the rounds on social media, caretakers can be seen lighting a fire inside the cage in an attempt to force the lions to move out. Their act disturbed the lion, who is seen roaring and moving frantically inside the small cage full of fire and smoke. As a result of this, the animal sustained severe injuries and suffocation. Reports also stated that the lion was beaten with sticks. The lion was later shifted to a veterinary hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. Officials claim that the ill-trained caretakers did not belong to the zoo or Islamabad Wildlife Management Board but were sent to facilitate the lion’s transfer.

    However, IWMB Chairman Dr Anis Rehman while speaking to AFP discarded the initial reports and said that the lioness died in Islamabad while the lion died after reaching Lahore, clarifying that the lions did not die because of fire.

    “We are waiting for the postmortem,” Rehman said.

    Meanwhile, earlier a nine-year-old female lion from Marghazar Zoo died while being moved to a lion sanctuary in Lahore. A male lion who was transferred with her is reportedly seriously ill. He is being looked after by veterinarians at the Mohiuddin Private Breeding Farm on Ganda Singh Road in Lahore.

    IWMB Chairman Dr Anis Rehman said the lion possibly passed away “due to travel stress” while being relocated. The lions were moved at night between July 26 and July 27.

    Dr Rehman explained that the process of shifting animals in cages causes them stress. In addition to this, weather conditions are also not favourable for the animals. According to reports, officials at the Ministry of Climate Change said that it was not advised to shift the animals in this hot and humid weather.

    The death of the lions sparked outrage once again and social media users demanded action to be taken against those involved in their deaths.

    Friends of Islamabad Zoo, who have been actively campaigning against the inhumane conditions at Islamabad Zoo, expressed their grief at the “unbearable loss of animal life that has occurred due to mismanagement and unqualified employees”. They also condemned “this gross lack of oversight”.

    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1288782740305911810?s=20
    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1288783071643406338?s=20

    WWF-Pakistan also condemned the incident and hoped that those responsible are taken to task. They also said that “WWF-Pakistan has also stepped down from the Board of the IWMB” in protest.

    Unfortunately, the lions are not the only ones to die. According to Dawn, a female hog deer also died while being relocated. Dr Rehman said a male hog deer hit the female, wounding her, and she died during the journey to a sanctuary. Two ostriches, several exotic pheasants, two spotted deer, two elks, one Indian gazelle and a Belgian Blue cow have also reported having died en route. Animals at the Islamabad Zoo are being relocated to temporary sanctuaries after the Islamabad High Court ruled that the zoo is not fit enough for them and lacks the necessary facilities.

  • Wildlife dept recovers two lions from bathroom in a residential area in Multan

    Wildlife dept recovers two lions from bathroom in a residential area in Multan

    The Punjab Wildlife Department recovered a pair of lions from the custody of a Multan resident and fined him Rs130,000 for the crime.

    Read more – Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    Wildlife Department Deputy Director Hassan Ali Sukhera while talking to APP said that a team of the department recovered the lions from a house in Khushhal Colony on May 30 in a raid that was conducted after obtaining search warrants.

    The lions were found kept in a bathroom after which the owner was punished with a fine worth Rs130,000 for violating the breeding farm rules and guidelines under Punjab Wildlife Act.

  • Lahore Safari Park auctions 14 lions

    The Lahore Safari Park has sold fourteen lions because lack of funds and resources has made it impossible for the park’s management to arrange food for the animals and birds housed there. The park was already facing financial issues before the lockdown was implemented but after that, their problems seem to have increased.

    According to a report in The Express Tribune, the lions were sold because there were a large number of them in the park and taking care of their diet and other needs is not an easy task. The management said that caring for these animals costs millions of rupees and 90 percent of their budget. Officials said a lion is given eight to nine kilogrammes of meat and few litres of milk every day. The daily cost of the lions’ food is about Rs30,000, which amounts to about Rs900,000 per month and Rs10.8 million annually.

    There are 37 African breed lions and lionesses and five tigers, including a white tiger, two jaguars and two pumas in the Safari Park.

    It was further reported that seven African lions and seven African lionesses were sold for Rs2.1 million through an auction. Each lion was sold for approximately Rs 150,000 and they were only handed over to the buyers after all the legal obligations had been fulfilled. They have been sold to breeders who have registered with the wildlife department and have facilities for keeping lions.

    Out of the 14 lions sold, 12 had minor issues related to breeding. According to Punjab Wildlife Director Mohammad Naeem Bhatti, 12 of the lions sold were suffering from partial disability.

    “Someone had problems with paws and others with bones,” he said, adding that the administration was forced to sell them due to disabilities and lack of resources.

  • Lions nap on the road during coronavirus lockdown in South Africa

    Lions nap on the road during coronavirus lockdown in South Africa

    Pictures of a pride of lions taking a nap in the middle of a road in a national park in South Africa have gone viral on social media. South Africa has been under lockdown since March 25.

    Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Africa, shared photos and videos of animals roaming the park without the intrusion of tourists.

    Park ranger Richard Sowry was out on patrol when he took the pictures of a pride sleeping on a road. Mr Sowry performs an essential service and continues to work during the lockdown, checking on the wildlife and guarding against poachers.

    He took photos with his mobile phone.

    Speaking to a news outlet, he said, “Lions are used to people in vehicles. All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up they would never have allowed me to get so close.”

  • Four lions kill teenager at Lahore’s Safari Park

    Four lions reportedly attacked and killed a 17-year-old youth at Lahore’s Safari Park, it emerged Wednesday.

    According to reports, the body of the youth identified as Bilal was found in the lions’ cage at the park Wednesday afternoon.

    Bilal was reported missing two days ago after his family had registered a complaint when he didn’t return home. They had said that he had gone to get grass.

    A severed head and arms were found inside the cage and there were bloody clothes as well. Bilal’s father identified him because of his clothes.

    However, it is not known how Bilal got inside the cage. While some reports suggest that Bilal went towards the cage of lions while cutting grass in the park where he was mauled by the lions, others say that the youth entered the lions’ cage, which resulted in his death.

    The Safari Park administration and the police have launched an investigation into the matter to determine the cause behind the incident.

  • The lions of Karachi

    The lions of Karachi

    Industrialist Bilal Mansoor Khawaja beams as he pets his white lion, one of the thousands of exotic animals at his personal “zoo.”

    Khawaja calls his handful of lions and a tiger the “crown jewels” of a larger collection of more than 4,000 animals he has amassed in recent years. He insists his zoo — made up of some 800 different species — is not about status or prestige but simply a manifestation of his love for pets. And to care for his flock, he has more than 30 people working in shifts and four vets on staff. Bilal admits that the entire setup costs a fortune although he refuses to provide an estimate of how much.

    His nine-acre property where a portion of his animals, including zebras, flamingos, and horses, reside is right in the middle of a dense neighbourhood in Karachi.

    Bilal, in his conversation with AFP on wild animals as pets, revealed that there are up to 300 lions within Karachi, kept in gardens, inside rooftop cages, and at farmhouses across the metropolis.

    Bilal is among those wealthy Karachiites who have a penchant for wild and exotic animals and likes to keep them in their homes as pets. Pictures of them cruising with their lions sitting in the front seats of luxury SUVs, have often made it to social media and invited uproar but little has been done about this.

    Pakistani laws make it easy to import exotic animals, but once inside the country regulation is almost non-existent. This has led to an untold number of such creatures being imported or bred across Pakistan in recent times.

    Exotic animal dealer Aleem Paracha, who claims to be one of the top three importers of exotic animals in Karachi, says that for 1.4 million rupees ($9,000) he can deliver a white lion to a client in up to 48 hours —and do so entirely legally.

    Certificates from the countries of origin along with permits from authorities are provided for any animal brought into Pakistan in accordance with an international treaty to protect endangered species.

    But Paracha says there is also a network of breeders across Pakistan that can also provide lions at a moment’s notice. He added that lion farming has become very popular in the city.

    This has lead to a deterioration in their health. Karachi veterinarian Isma Gheewala says lions suffering from calcium deficiencies are common at her clinic, where she says she has treated between 100 to 150 big cats over the years.

    “The bones become extremely brittle,” she explains. “And even if they jump like a foot down, they will injure some bone or the other and then it takes a long time for the animals to recover.”

    But both Paracha and Khawaja dismiss claims they are doing anything harmful by taking exotic species out of their natural habit and raising them in Pakistan.