ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination, Dr Musadik Malik visited Islamabad Wildlife Management Board’s (IWMB) Animals Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre to witness the shifting of the Asian black bear, Rocky, to its new enclosure.
The 7-year old Rocky was subjected to severe abuse and rescued earlier this month, on the first day of Ramazan (March 2) from Jauharabad (Khushab) by a joint team of vets belonging to the global animal welfare group, Four Paws and the IWMB and brought to the centre for treatment.
In Khushab, the animal was kept in illegal captivity and used for baiting (fighting with trained dogs) which is illegal and liable to fine and punishment.
Otherwise, an aggressive animal because of non-stop 35 fights, Rocky was calm on Tuesday and showed little signs of panic when he was released in the bigger enclosure to live with other rescued bears. Now the animal will spend the rest of his life in IWMB rescue and rehabilitation centre as his teeth have been pulled by his owner and he is not fit to resume his wild life.
While talking to reporters on the occasion, Federal Minister Musadik Malik expressed his relief at the shifting of Rocky. We are committed to stopping the animals, he said praising the Punjab government particularly the Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, for crackdown on all those involved in animal abuse. On the Punjab government’s request and with the support of the IWMB, Four Paws team earlier this month not only rescued Rocky but on the very next day, they rescued another 3-yearold female bear ‘Sunny’ from Faisalabad who too was mistreated by her captors and used as dancing bear.
She too is recuperating in the IWMB centre. Musadik Malik paid rich compliments to the international animal welfare group, the Punjab government and the IWMB for making joint efforts to make the animals’ rescue possible.
After assuming charge as environment minister some two weeks ago, this was Dr Musadik Malik’s first visit to the animal rescue centre. He also shared his future plan with the media saying the current IWMBD board was working on an ad hoc basis and soon it would have permanent members—those who have lifelong commitment and work for the rescue and rehabilitation of animals. He also praised the previous board and the Chairperson Rina Saeed Khan for rescuing a lion, a leopard, several bears, kites and other animals. They have also done a great work, he admitted. The current leadership of the board is also well aware of the challenges and will soon over them, he hoped.
Musadik Malik also praised current Chairperson of the IWMB, Ms Aisha Humaira for providing an animal-friendly environment to the rescued animals. The IWMB team particularly Sana Raja, Aneela, Saqib, Umar Bilal, Jibran and Sakhawat deserve our kudos for making sure the rescued animals have daily fresh meal, care and medicine in case they are sick.
“You are the real heroes and I am proud of you,” he said to them. He also showed his intention to launch a comprehensive programme for capacity-building of the IWMB with the help of the Four Paws. Talking about the days when the Murghazar Zoo existed at the same place, Dr Malik said the place was known as a torture cell for animals. Here the world’s loneliest animal Kavan was kept chained for decades (thanks to the Four Paws vet Dr Amir Khalil who along with his team shifted the animal to the elephants’ sanctuary in Cambodia), animals’ food was stolen and there was little care. After shifting of all the animals and closure of the zoo, the situation has much improved, he said.
