Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate chairman has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to constitute a wider medical board to assess elephant Kaawan’s health when even stern action is still awaited on recent demise of four cubs to an African lioness.

The African lioness named Rani, at Marghazar Zoo, had given birth to four cubs a few days back. All the four cubs died during last few days one after another. The sources inside the zoo blamed the staff members for negligence in care of newborn cubs.

Unfortunately, the management of CDA has been failed to take any serious step on this negligence and showing causal attitude towards such a poor performance of the administration in Islamabad Zoo.

When contacted the Chief Officer Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad Asad Mehboob Kiani has said: “Today, Mayor of Islamabad has ordered an inquiry into the matter and the responsible elements would be dealt strictly.”

On the other side the Zoo managers are claiming that the cubs died because the lioness didn’t feed them but they are reluctant to provide any evidence in this regard.

The Marghazar Zoo was opened in 1978 and is home to over 800 birds and over 40 species of around 100 animals. It has been criticized for the conditions under which the animals and birds are kept.

Dozens of animals are dying every year due to careless attitude of zoo staff whereas the lonely elephant Kaavan is suffering miserable conditions due to illness, but the top management of CDA is not willing to take the notice of such alarming rate of deaths.

Meanwhile, in continuation of the efforts to improve condition of the capital’s famous Marghzaar Zoo, the Senate of Pakistan has directed the management of the Zoo and the authorities concerned of Capital Development Authority (CDA) to take urgent steps in this regards besides providing better facilities to the ailing elephant popularly known as ‘Kaavan’.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani while presiding over a meeting at the Parliament House on Wednesday observed that the Upper House took lead by constituting a Committee headed by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq to look into the reports about ‘Kaavan’s’ health and also the condition of other animals in the Zoo.

He proposed that a wider medical board should be constituted in this regard to thoroughly assess the physical and mental health condition of the lonely animal.

Chairman Senate directed Senator Nuzhat Sadiq and Senator Samina Abid to contact Sri Lankan High Commissioner since the Sri Lankan government had earlier promised for replacement of the aged elephant with a younger one. He also directed CDA to improve the enclosure of the elephant, provide healthy food and better environment to the animal.

Earlier CDA Chairman and Mayor of Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz briefed the Chairman Senate that both the mahouts have been suspended and transferred from the Zoo to break their monopoly. He said that two new Zoo keepers have been engaged for better care and management of male elephant. He said that the elephant is healthy, taking food, walking freely and there are no symptoms of aggressiveness or sickness. The meeting was attended by Senators Nuzhat Sadiq, Samina Abid, Secretary Senate Amjed Pervez Malik Chairman CDA / Mayor of Islamabad Shaiklh Ansar Aziz, and senior officers of the CDA.

Published in Daily Times, July 13^th , 2017.