Assalamu Alaikum - Brown bear Rano moved from Karachi to sanctuary after court order
Assalamu Alaikum - Rano, a Himalayan brown bear who spent more than seven years at the Karachi Zoo, was airlifted to Islamabad on Wednesday following a court order after a welfare petition detailed signs of distress, behavioral trauma and injuries linked to being kept in an unsuitable tropical enclosure.
Authorities say this is the first step in relocating her to a sanctuary in Gilgit-Baltistan, where the climate and terrain are closer to her native mountain home. The case has reopened national conversation about the future of city zoos in Pakistan and how large wild animals are kept in small public displays.
A Sindh government committee, which included animal welfare advocates, supervised the transfer to make sure it followed the court’s instructions. Rano was trained over several weeks to enter her travel crate voluntarily so she could be moved without sedation and with less stress.
“Rano was familiarized with her crate at the zoo and was taken to the PAF airbase this morning… then flown to Islamabad,” Sindh Wildlife Chief Javed Mehar said.
Welfare groups had raised concerns that Rano was kept alone in an environment far too hot for her species, with little shade, enrichment or cooling. The petition mentioned incidents of self-harm - the bear repeatedly hitting her head against the enclosure bars - and maggot-infested wounds that supporters say went untreated for long periods.
Last week, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah asked the Wildlife Department to prepare a proposal to ban the import of exotic animals across the province, stressing that only species suitable for the local climate, veterinary care and habitat conditions should be housed here.
Shah also pointed to Pakistan’s obligations under CITES and other international wildlife protection agreements that aim to prevent trade threatening species’ survival.
Rano will stay temporarily in Islamabad before being moved on to Gilgit-Baltistan, where wildlife experts will monitor her adjustment to the cooler, higher-altitude environment and provide rehabilitation.
Activists hope this relocation will set a precedent for wider reforms at major zoos in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, where recent cases have highlighted problems with animal welfare, enclosure standards and the sustainability of keeping wild animals in crowded urban settings.
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