Zubair Qureshi
Pakistan Mission in Bangkok has issued visas to three veterinary experts for health assessment of the lone and ailing elephant of Margazar Zoo ‘Kaavan’ before the elephant’s travel to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Climate Change said the experts are expected in Islamabad before August end. The internationally recognized veterinary experts— Srisaard Channarong (Thailand) and Pratumdee Wichian (Thailand) and Thomson Darrick Lome (Canada )—will evaluate the elephant’s food, health and his condition whether he is mentally and physically fit for travel or not.
An official of the Climate Change Ministry informed the information has been conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Climate Change Ministry with a request to further transmit it to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Kaavan will move to a sanctuary in Cambodia after 35 years in captivity in Islamabad.
The IHC had directed the Ministry and other attached departments to make necessary arrangements for the relocation of Kaavan.
Later, the climate change ministry had approached the foreign ministry and requested to take up the matter with the concerned authorities/officials at the Pakistan Mission in Bangkok for the issuance of visas to the vets for medical examination of the elephant before its retirement and relocation to the 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement, the official said.
In compliance with the direction of the court, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) had notified on June 9 an 8-member committee for relocation of the elephant Kaavan and other animals of the Margzar Zoo to some other sanctuaries.
The committee comprised WWF-Pakistan’s senior director programme Pakistan as its chairman and biodiversity specialist Z. B. Mirza as co-chairman.
The committee’s other members include Khyber Pakhtukhwa Wildlife Chief Conservator Dr Mohsin Farooq, Islamabad Zoo veterinary officer Dr Bilal Khilji, Dr Masoodul Haq of Bahria Zoo, Dr Tom Channarong Srisa of Ard Save the Elephant Foundation, Ms Nilanga Jaysinghe of IUCN, co-founder of Save the Elephant Foundation Derek Thompsan and representatives from M/o Climate Change as well as the Islamabad Zoo.
IWMB in the meeting had decided that the Kaavan should be retired to the Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary after its health assessment by the veterinarians.
Later, the IHC was conveyed the expert committee’s decision, which on July 18 disposed of the case related to the implementation of its order for releasing Kaavan from the zoo to a sanctuary.
