Zubair Qureshi
Thursday turned out to be a busy day for the three-member team of Austria-based animals welfare group ‘Four Paws International’ as they shifted three wolves, two monkeys from the Marghazar Zoo to the Ayub Park Rawalpindi.
Led by Dr Amir Khalil, Director of the Project Development Four Paws, the international team members—Marion Lombard and Velizar Angelov—kept moving from one corner of the zoo to the other, from the monkeys’ cage to the wolves’ enclosure assisting Dr Amir in using tranquilizer darts first on monkeys and then on wolves.
In their work they were of course assisted by the workers of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and volunteers of the Friends of Islamabad Zoo (FIZ).
“There are two male wolves and one female wolf and we are relocating them,” said Dr Amir Khalil. “After giving them anesthesia, we put microchips into the wolves’ bodies as mark of identification and vaccinated them as well as conducted complete medical examination,” Dr Amir Khalil further said.
Apparently, the wolves seem to be in good condition and fit to be relocated to the Ayub Park, he said. When asked if he was satisfied with the facilities in the Ayub Park, he said yes the facilities and space in the Ayub Park’s sanctuary were quite good.
Two monkeys were also darted on Thursday and shifted to the Rawalpindi’s Ayub Park sanctuary. After relocation of wolves and monkeys, the Marghazar Zoo is now left with only Kaavan, the only Asian elephant and a couple of monkeys and two bears.
About bears, Dr Amir Khalil said there are two Himalayan bears, one male and one female. They are apparently 17 years old. The female bear is sick and operated and overall they are in better conditions. Earlier, they are showing stereotype behavior. About their possible relocation to Four Paws sanctuary in Jordan— Al-Ma’wa For Nature & Wildlife Reserve, a partnership project between Princess Alia Foundation and Four Paws in Jordan—Dr Amir Khalil said the government of Pakistan is to make the final decision about them, said Khalil. Likewise, about Kaavan, he said still they had to hear a clear communication from the government.
Chairman of the IWMB, Dr Anis-ur-Rehman said for Kaavan, Cambodia’s option was still there. Four Paws experts have been requested to come and examine Kaavan’s health and fitness to be relocated to Cambodia’s sanctuary for elephants. However, at the same time, he did not rule out the possibility to keep Kaavan in the zoo “if same possibilities can be provided here.”
