Both lion and lioness died as animal caretakers failed to tame them and instead killed them
Zoo transfer of the lion and lioness from the Islamabad zoo to a private lion farm in Lahore turned tragic as both of them lost their lives in the process.
The lioness lost her life during the journey while the lion succumbed to his injuries two days later on Wednesday in Lahore.
The animal caretakers who arrived to facilitate the transfer as well as the zoo staff and Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) have been blamed for criminal negligence in their duties.
In a shocking video, the lion’s cage was set on fire in what may be described as an utter nonsensical act to counter the cats’ aggression. Locals also said that the lions were beaten with clubs to tame them.
The lioness died shortly after arriving in Lahore while the lion, who also received burns and inhaled smoke, died after being critically injured.
Friends of Islamabad Zoo (FIZ) also confirmed the news:
Three blue bulls and an ostrich have also died in the process and the authorities have stopped the transfer, for now.
The authorities remain indifferent to the plight of these wild animals. The Islamabad High Court had ordered the relocation of the animals due to the poor facilities at the Marghazar Zoo. The court clearly said in its verdict that until a credible international agency declares the zoo as an international standard facility, it should not house any animals. The court orders were not followed for months and when they were, disaster struck.
Criminal negligence everywhere
Recent reports suggest that the animals in the Peshawar Zoo are no better off. During the last nine months, 18 animals have died due to a variety of reasons. While a few of the animals died due to natural causes, most of them died in structure related accidents or due to inadequate spaces.
It appears that the management refuses to learn from its mistakes and perhaps legal action similar to Marghazar zoo is needed in Peshawar as well.
[…] the zoo management, wildlife board and government officials whose “criminal negligence” resulted in the death of two beautiful lions of Islamabad […]