Residents of Karachi filed a petition in the Sindh High Court on Thursday, demanding the relocation of a bear cub at the city Zoo. Earlier this week, a video of a brown bear, confined in cage 77 at the zoo, went viral on social media. It showed the animal in a dire condition, thirsty and suffering in the heat. Following this, animal rights activists across the city expressed their concerns over the bear’s condition and decided to file a petition against keeping it at the zoo. A total of 38 people signed the petition which was filed in the court by Barrister Mohsin Shahwani. The petitioners said that the bear cub, Rano, is being kept in a very small enclosure, away from her family. “The bear is not fed on time, neither are its other needs looked out for,” Shahwani said. The petitioner demanded that the bear should be sent back to Skardu where its other family members are, adding that the bear is not native to Karachi and the city’s climate is not suitable for it. “The condition of the Karachi Zoo is very bad and the place has become hazardous for animals living there,” Shahwani said, pointing out that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation doesn’t have the funds or skilled workers to take care of animals. He demanded that a two-member committee be formed to look into the condition of the zoo and suggest improvements in it. It will also make sure that animals are kept according to their natural habitat requirements. “It is very important that these animals are tended to carefully. Even our religion doesn’t allow us to treat animals in a bad way,” the petitioner added.
