Zubair Qureshi
The eight-member experts’ committee constituted on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for relocation of the chained, aging and ailing elephant Kaavan of Islamabad Zoo, has recommended that the 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia could be a suitable area for relocation and retirement of the animal.
The elephant has been in the Islamabad zoo for over 35 year since 1985 when it was gifted to the Pakistan government by the Sri Lankan government.
Since then the poor creature had been chained and detained in the Islamabad Marghzar Zoo supposed to be giving joy to thousands of visiting children.
“The committee has argued that the sanctuary already houses elephants and is equipped with experts, who have relocated and rehabilitated over 80 elephants so far, would be the best choice,” said a senior official of the Climate Change ministry while talking to Pakistan Observer here Friday.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) on the directions of the Chief Justice of the IHC Justice Athar Minallah had constituted on June 9 an eight-member committee for relocation of the elephant Kavaan and other animals of the Marghzar Zoo to some other sanctuaries.