Daily Times

A high-powered investigation committee has been set up by the Ministry of Climate Change to probe into the deaths of animals of Islamabad Margazar Zoo.

The inquiry committee will be chaired by the Additional Secretary of the Climate Change Ministry Joudat Ayaz and will look into the causes of the recent deaths of zoo animals including lions, ostriches, and other animals.

The Islamabad High Court had assigned the responsibility to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board to ensure safe and harmless shifting of the Zoo animals to the wildlife santuries. But, it has been brought into notice of the Ministry that deaths were occurred due to bad management regarding the shifting of the Zoo animals and poor feeding arrangements about which the Ministry is seriously concerned, terming it intolerable and inhumane, the Minister official said.

However, the probe body has been tasked to fix the responsibility for deaths of the animals and propose disciplinary actions to be taken.

Muhammad Saleem, the ministry’s media focal person and deputy director, said has been brought into notice that the deaths occurred due to poor management regarding the shifting of the zoo animals and poor feeding arrangements.

He said the ministry is seriously concerned, terming it intolerable and inhumane. He sais the committee has been tasked to fix responsibility and propose disciplinary actions to be taken against those found responsible for the death of the animals.

The pair of lions from Marghazar Zoo died while being moved to a lion sanctuary in Lahore, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) confirmed.

The lions were set on fire as the zoo staff wanted to transport lion and other animals out of the facility. The condition of the lions deteriorated because of burns and suffocation.

The lioness died on the way to the farmhouse, while the lion died after reaching there. The Islamabad Wildlife Management has refused to give any information until the postmortem reports are released.

The pair of lions were both four years old when they were brought to the zoo in May 2016 from Lahore Safari Park as part of the bird and animal exchange programme. Three blue bulls (Nilgai) and an ostrich had already died at the Islamabad zoo due to the incompetence of Zoo administration.