Daily Times

Animal deaths have become commonplace at the Peshawar Zoo. The zoo is constructed on 29 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 47 crores is situated in Markaz-Ul-Uloom Islamia Rahatabad at provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

This year, a documents revealed that 9 animals have died in the zoo due to lack of basic facilities. The documents conform that three African giraffes died of stomach upset and Black deer die of infection, while the wolf was brought to the zoo in a critical condition

The document claimed that Markhor and Zubera were killed when they hit the fence and Chankara deer was injured in a fight with another deer.

The document published in the media states that 91 animals were brought to the zoo, in which the number of animals increased to 154 after successful breeding.

Peshawar is one of the largest zoos in Pakistan and the first ever zoo in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It opened on 12 February 2018 and managed by the Forests, Environment and Wildlife department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

This year, number of people in Peshawar have filed a joint petition at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the negligence of the city’s zoo administration, which they claimed has resulted in the deaths of multiple animals.

The petition was filed through Advocate Ali Gohar, mentioned that the local zoos need to adapt international acceptable standards and build suitable sanctuaries for animals while pointing out the cages and enclosures built lack proper infrastructure.

The petitioners have also dwelled over the fact that the Zoo needs to be environmentally friendly as well including tree plantations. The appeal narrated the authorities to hire trained personnel and establish a laboratory for diagnosis and ensure veterinarians to diagnose ailments for the well-being of the animals.

Besides this, the petitioners said that there should be an animal rescue center that can be responsible for spaying and neutering stray animals which can help improve their lives and control population as well, entreaty concluded
They have also mentioned that there should be proper establishment for the well-being of stray animals has also been submitted by the citizens.

On following the zoo’s opening more than 34 animals died due to lack of medical facilities and rising temperatures in the city. The death animals including 30 birds, one nilgai (an antelope endemic to Indian subcontinent), a snow leopard, a fallow deer and a monkey

In 2018, a female snow leopard named Sonhi which died due to a clogged artery which could not be diagnosed on time and at least 2 leopard cubs which died due to heat related cause

In 2018, May 4, the zoo lost one of its monkeys. The monkey died after being severely injured by a wolf, which was kept in the same cage as the monkey while in a four-year-old fallow deer, which died on March 1, was initially reported to have died under ‘mysterious circumstances

On May 4, the zoo lost one of its monkeys. The monkey died after being severely injured by a wolf, which was kept in the same cage as the monkey

In September 2019, a black bear cub that mysteriously went missing from Peshawar Zoo after which a wildlife department has ordered an inquiry into the disappearance of the animal

After several online petitions and reports have been submitted regarding the condition of Peshawar Zoo and the conditions the animals have been kept in, the provincial government has decided to send the staff of the Peshawar Zoo for training abroad.

The decision was taken to provide best care to the animals at the zoo. Different animals have died in the recent past which sparked a controversy with public questioning the facilities and care being provided to the wildlife.

The provincial Assembly lawmaker Rehana Ismail had also raised the issue of lack of proper facilities at the zoo that the animals had died of natural causes and proper facilities are being provided to the animals at the zoo.

The zoo was formally inaugurated and opened to the public on 12 February 2018. In June 2018, three pairs of Bengal tigers arrived at the zoo from South Africa, followed shortly by the arrival of giraffes and the opening of the snake house

In November 2018 a herd of Arabian oryx arrived from UAE, making this the first endangered species of ungulate to be imported by the zoo

Recently, the zoo has time and again gained media attention as sight for sore eyes for animal lovers to catch a glimpse of two healthy tiger cubs, born on Monday at the Peshawar Zoo

The cubs are in good shape and being looked after by the zoo staff while the administration of the zoo said that the gender of the cubs cannot be ascertained for a period of 15 days.