KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the zoological gardens as well as the local and provincial government authorities on a petition about a baby bear, allegedly separated from its parents, having been kept in an unnatural habitat at the zoo.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui also directed zoo officials and other respondents to take prompt action to provide the baby bear an environment close to the natural habitat, considering it to be still a cub. The bench asked the senior director of the zoo and recreation to be in attendance along with a report about the health of the cub on Saturday (October 3).

It also directed the authorities responsible for the maintenance of the zoo to form a committee in this regard for timely action.

The bench observed that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was under statutory duty in terms of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 to maintain the zoological gardens and to keep a natural habitat for animals.

While maintaining the facility and in performance of their duties to provide such environment, the KMC had employed different officials perhaps having appropriate experience and educational qualification and credential to perform their duties of protecting animals, including endangered species being kept in zoo, it added.

The bench further said that the petition pertained to baby bear (Syrian grown breed) which needed prompt attention for its survival as alleged in the petition, adding that the cub was alleged to be in the custody of the officials of Zoological Gardens Karachi and claimed to have been forcibly separated from its parents, which amounted to cruelty as the baby bear was still in its early age and could not survive without parents and that, too, in severe hot condition of the provincial metropolis which was far away from the required natural habitat for its growth.

It observed that if it is so, it amounted to cruelty being done by the officials concerned in terms of Section 3 of the Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals Act, 1890.

“The situation appears to be too pressing for any kind of delay. Let a notice in this regard be issued to the respondents and Advocate General Sindh for 03.10.2020”, it added.

The bench said that keeping the urgency of the matter in view, the case was being fixed on Oct 3 for hearing.

Around 40 petitioners from various walks of life through their lawyer Barrister Mohsin Shahwani had moved the SHC and submitted that urgent attention was required to save the life of a cub, as well as the management of the zoological garden from the consequential effect.

Impleading the KMC administrator, senior director of zoo & recreation and the provincial secretary of local government as respondents, the petitioners contended that the baby bear ‘Ranoo’ was being kept at Karachi zoo in a small and ill-equipped enclosures and lonely away from its family in Skardu and without natural habitat that lacked proper food, water and medical treatment.

They further maintained that the condition of the zoo was alarming and the lives of captive living-beings were at high risk since the facility had never adopted minimum standards and guidelines.

They sought direction for respondents to immediately shift the cub to Skardu, where it could be reunited with her family, and proper maintenance of hygiene, living conditions and healthcare of all other animals be kept at the zoo.

The petitioners also prayed for the setting up of a committee comprising representatives of animal welfare community, experts and veterinarians to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of facilities at zoo and prepare a report in accordance with international zoo standards and SOPs.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2020