Zubair Qureshi
All-out efforts are being taken under an over-arching plan to improve the overall conditions of the Islamabad Margazar Zoo and to bring its animals at par with those in developed countries.
This was said by Mohammad Saleem, Media Spokesperson of the Climate Change Ministry while talking to media here Sunday.
Before Islamabad High Court’s order dated July 29 regarding transfer of administrative control of the Islamabad Margazar Zoo from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation to the Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad zoo was in extremely deplorable and pathetic conditions for lack of poor management of the Zoo, adequate arrangements for food and cleanliness for animals.
“But, because of a number of steps taken by the climate change ministry the overall condition of the Margazar Zoo and animals has improved significantly, Mohammad Saleem said.
Besides a detailed court order of the Islamabad High Court of September 2 also recognized the Ministry’s efforts that led to improvement in conditions of the Zoo and animals.
He further recalled that the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and in July 2019 and sought its attention through a writ petition about extremely pathetic conditions of the Zoo and animals inside it.
IHC has appointed the Ministry’s Joint Secretary (Administration) Incharge of the Margazar Zoo for saving the Zoo from further plunging into the worst conditions, where many animals were in poor conditions because of sickness and lack of food.
Highlighting the positive measures taken by the Climate Change Ministry without any financial resources provided by the IMC, the media spokesperson Mohammad Saleem said, “The Ministry utilized its own resources and capacities to improve highly deplorable conditions of the Zoo and the animals caged inside the zoo with no adequate food, health and care facilities for them.”
Another major achievement was that the Zoo was made plastic-free and all kinds of the use of plastic shopping bags was banned completely, he said.