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KARACHI, Sept 26: Suggesting major penalties against zoo officials whose “wilful negligence” caused the death of three lion cubs at the Karachi Zoological Gardens more than a month ago, the officer investigating the case with the assistance of a technical team has recommended that the “whereabouts of the fourth missing cub needs to be ascertained with the help of local police” as no evidence was found suggesting that the lioness had eaten her baby.
These remarks are part of the much-awaited inquiry report that has been submitted to the DCO by Ghanwer Khan Leghari, executive district officer (EDO), revenue, city district government, last week after a gap of 45 days. The inquiry was supposed to be completed within 15 days.
The inquiry report states: “The death was due to the wilful negligence on the part of zoo staff. The birth of cubs and their rearing was taken too casually, as it was caring for pye-dogs. There was no 24-hour monitoring of cubs to ascertain the behaviour of captive lioness towards her cubs. There was no effort to bottlefeed the cubs or take care of them.
“As a matter of routine, the staff taking care of the cubs used to leave for homes at 3pm. It is very strange that the zoo authorities claim that the lions were seized and it is not their responsibility if the cubs expired.”
Two pairs of lions were confiscated at Karachi airport by customs authorities last year as the animals were being imported on an expired permit. The big cats were handed over to the Sindh wildlife department which shifted them to the zoo, saying the department did not have any facility to keep wild animals.
While the matter is still pending in court, a lioness gave birth to four cubs last month. The cubs could hardly survive for five days — three of them were found dead while another was found missing the same day on Aug 12. Reacting to the news, the minister for local government suspended the zoo chief.
Two inquiries were subsequently launched to investigate the matter. The Karachi administrator appointed Ghanwer Khan Leghari, EDO, revenue, as inquiry officer while the minister for local government appointed Shazia Rizvi, special secretary to the minister, as inquiry officer.
The samples taken from animal bodies were sent for an analysis to the chemical examiner and the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Ms Rizvi was not available for her comments on the matter.
Findings of lab tests According to the findings of the chemical examiner, no traces of chemicals/poison were found in the samples. The DUHS report, which was handed over to the city government officials after the submission of the inquiry report to the DCO, also does not mention any specific cause of death.
The report says that veterinary experts believed that “starvation, lack of mismanagement and negligence” caused the babies’ death.
The report expresses surprise as to how all the cubs died and one went missing the same day. Regarding death by starvation, it says that there is a strong possibility of death by starvation as at the time of post-mortem, the cubs’ lungs and stomach were filled with air and it seems that they died because of lack of care.
Quoting the suspended official in charge of the zoo, the report states that “even Mansoor Qazi, district officer zoo, agreed that the cubs were not properly fed by the lioness.”
About the ‘missing cub’, the report declares that samples taken from the spot provide ample evidence that the fourth cub had not been eaten up by the lioness, but rather went missing.
“This is what the zoo authorities should explain that as to how the cub went missing. Had the cub been eaten up by the lioness, then there would have been pieces of skin or hair of the cub in the cage. But, no such thing could be found during investigation.”
Further highlighting the flaws on the part of the zoo administration, the report says conversations with the zoo staff responsible for the upkeep of lions revealed that none of the doctors or staff had entered the cage or even tried to handle the cubs. All they did was see the cubs through the two small holes.
“No arrangement was made to bottlefeed the cubs in case the lioness was not feeding the cubs properly,” the report points out. The lion keepers never saw the lioness feeding her cubs, according to the report.
During the investigation it also came to light that there was no practice to keep the record of birth, death, diet and medication at the zoo. The inquiry team found that there was no livestock assistant or staff to maintain accounts. The number of zoo keepers was much below the sanctioned vacancies.
Many species are without a pair at the zoo which also lacks an emergency plan, the report further says.
Recommendations “There was criminal negligence on part of Mr Mansoor Qazi, district officer zoo, Dr Aamir Ismail, assistant district officer zoo and Mr Farooq Aslam, the overseer. It is recommended that major penalty be imposed on the above designated officials as they did their duties too casually and failed to take any pre-emptive measure for the pre and post-natal care of the cubs.
“The head of the community development, Ms Rehana Saif, also needs to be taken to task as she was so irresponsible that she did not even know when the lioness had conceived. This indicates her callous attitude and the way she ignored the welfare of the cubs,” the report says.
Though minor penalties against the zoo keepers have been recommended, the report also points out that “the lower staff did whatever they could” and it was only because of a lack of foresight and focused attitude of the superiors that the cubs died.
The report also suggests action against Sindh wildlife department officials as they “made no attempt to inquire about the welfare of lions after their confiscation”.
The report recommends that the zoo needs an independent body and not a subservient one to a non-technical department like the community development department.
It also suggests the creation of an environment closer to animals’ natural habitat at the zoo, appointment of trained staff, initiation of ventures like animal adoption through public-private partnership, proper record keeping and formation of zoo committees comprising members of the wildlife and livestock departments as well as the public.
