The miserable state of the ailing elephant Noor Jehan at Karachi Zoo is a sad sight. This 17-year-old pachyderm was diagnosed with “an inner haematoma with a damaged pelvic diaphragm,” and though the Four Paws team was hopeful, she fell into a pond in her small enclosure earlier this month. According to animal rights activists, she lay there for almost 11 hours before being “rescued” by being lifted up via cranes and ropes. The trauma that Noor Jehan has gone through is simply unimaginable.
If only the earlier suggestion of the global animal welfare organisation, Four Paws, had been followed, Noor Jehan would have been relocated to a better environment, and her case might have been very different. But the abuse of animals is not given much consideration in Pakistani society, except by a handful of people. Internationally, campaigns have sprung up to end the practice of breeding and keeping wild animals in captivity for human viewing pleasure.
One such campaign began with the documentary crew that filmed Tilikum, a captive orca kept at Sea World in Miami, Florida. Many investigations have also revealed the cruelty endured by wild animals, who can no longer enjoy a safe, natural habitat to which their bodies are attuned, and must instead deal with tiny enclosures such as the one Noor Jehan is kept in.
Elephants in captivity have also come under scrutiny globally. In Thailand, the practice of riding elephants around ancient temple sites has faced scrutiny, with various exposés revealing how offering rides to tourists can impact the elephant’s gait and musculoskeletal health. Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, the head of World Animal Protection, has called for tourists and others who enjoy elephant rides or visiting zoos to be made aware that captive animals are often taken from their mothers as small babies and subjected to harsh living conditions, inadequate nutrition and health amenities.
While campaigns to help elephants have focused on Thailand, which has a large number of elephants used to cater to the whims and fancies of tourists wanting to enjoy elephant rides, reports say there has now been some realization and restrictions on the use of these elephants in this way.It is unfortunate that animal abuse is not an issue that is given much consideration in Pakistani society. The lack of interest in animal welfare is quite apparent, unlike the rest of the world that is beginning to focus on the cruelty of breeding animals in captivity. It is time for us to become more conscious of the issues of animal abuse and take necessary steps to prevent it.
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Animal welfare seems to have gone completely unnoticed in Pakistan, with the rest of the world focusing on the inhumane treatment of bred animals. While people across the globe have come to realize the cruelty of burden-carrying animals, such as donkeys and horses, in Pakistan, they are often whipped mercilessly for not going fast enough. Tourists visiting beaches and other popular sites are exposed to the agony of thin and poorly cared-for camels and horses used for rides. Even monkeys are subjected to abuse and beaten by their owners who force them to dance and act for insensitive viewers.
Dogs in Pakistan are the worst affected as they are frequently culled en masse. Despite being mentioned in religious texts in a positive manner, many people want to single them out for abuse. If a dog is seen rummaging for food at a rubbish heap, many see it as a license to throw stones at it. In cases where vloggers or social media influencers speak up about the need to treat all of God’s creation with respect and empathy, they are often met with malign comments.
Pakistanis need to realize that treating animals with respect and empathy is a sign of good character. Parents should teach their children about animal welfare, and schoolteachers should educate their students about it too. Good morals are not a zero-sum game; being kind to animals does not mean that there is less kindness left over for humans. It is entirely possible for humans to be kind and empathetic to both their own kind and animals. Zoos where animals are denied their natural habitat and are subjected to torture and hunger are cruel, as Noor Jehan’s case reveals. These animals have no way to express the ordeal they face every day, especially in an environment where their welfare is not a priority.
It is not only Noor Jehan’s condition that requires attention, but also the condition of all animals in Karachi Zoo. The facility should be shut down immediately so that animals are no longer subject to inadequate care and human negligence. The animals present should be sent to sanctuaries willing to house them, such as the sanctuary in Cambodia where Kaavan was taken some years ago. At the very least, all animals should be prevented from breeding so that their progeny are not born into captivity and unable to survive in the wild conditions they lived in for thousands of years before humans decided to trap, cage and abuse them for entertainment.
In conclusion, it is essential for Pakistanis to recognize that animal welfare is critical, and treating animals with respect and empathy is part of good character. It is high time for Pakistan to take action to end the cruelty of animals and shut down facilities like the Karachi Zoo, where animals suffer from inadequate care and human negligence. The animals deserve to be in sanctuaries where they can live in their natural habitats and be treated with the respect and care they deserve.
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