Animals at centre of zoo saga cleared to go

Two bears will be relocated to Jordan while elephant is off to Cambodia

The Islamabad High Court was told yesterday that import permits fromJordan and Cambodia have been received for the relocation of two Himalayan brown bears ( endangered species) and an Asian elephant fromPakistan.

The two bears will be relocated fromIslamabad’sMurghazar Zoo to the Princess Alia Foundation AlMa’awa for Nature and Wildlife, in Amman, Jordan, while Cambodia’s Elephants Wildlife Sanctuary will be the new home for Kaavan the elephant, the court was told.

In May this year, Chief Justice Athar Minallah had ordered the relocation of all the animals from the zoo, after it was found that animals were being treated harshly and there had been multiple deaths.

Twowild cats die

The animals are currently being kept at the Murghazar Zoo and international animal welfare organisation Four Paws International is looking after them with the cooperation of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board.

Even after the court’s order two rare species of wild cats, a lion and a lioness have died, allegedly due to the unprofessional handling by officials whowere trying to shift them from the zoo. The court after the lions’ death was reported, initiated contempt proceedings against the minister for climate change and other senior officials.

Kaavan to move in days

In Thursday’s proceedings, however it was revealed that No Objection Certificates had been issued under the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna And Flora ( CITES) duly endorsed by the Jordanian and the Cambodian authorities.

With the issuance of the NOCs, the relocation of the three endangered animals from Islamabad’s zoo is nowa matter of days.

The court was informed by the lawyer Owais Awan that Four Paws International’s project director Dr Amir Khalil was in Austria but would return at the weekend.