Leopard killed in Peshawar’s zoo
our correspondent
peshawar
Due to suboptimal management and weak healthcare system another death of Cheetah (leopard) occurred at Peshawar’s zoo here on Tuesday. According to the zoo authority the death of Cheetahs was the result of an unnoticed fight between the two Cheetahs which left one of them critically injured and died even receiving the treatment.
Following the incident the Minister for Forest, Wildlife and Environment Ishtiaq Khan Urmer convened an emergency meeting of the concerned officials on the death of a leopard.
A report submitted in KP’s Assembly last month revealed that at least nine animals have lost their lives in a year. They included three giraffes, a black buck, a leopard, Markhor, Zebra, Wolf and Chinkara.
According to the report, the African giraffes had died due to severe diarrhea caused by abdominal infection. The cause for black buck’s death has been described as a rare infection due to unknown reason. A hemorrhagic and necrotic focus has claimed the leopard’s life. Markhor and zebra succumbed to their wounds after hitting the metal fence during a sprint. The wolf, according to authorities, was brought into the zoo in an injured condition for treatment but experts on animal’s health have failed to save its life. Chinkara had received a head injury after fighting with its partner and it turned out to be the cause of its death.
“Initially 91 animals were brought to the zoo and number was raised to 154 after breeding,” the report read. Deputy Director of Peshawar Zoo, Ishtiaq Ullah, commented that natural deaths of any living beings could not be stopped by a man. “The zoo comprises more than 80 employees including a veterinary doctor and two other technicians for 24 hours surveillance,” he added.
Despite the facts, that the incidents of animals’ death are continuously being reported since the zoo is established, but none of the official inquiry is initiated to probe the matter and bring the responsible before the law.
Established over 29 acres of land, located at Rahatabad area of the provincial capital with the cost of Rs270m in 2018, the Peshawar Zoo is considered to be the largest zoo of the country.
It is managed by the Forests, Environment and Wildlife department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). With the fresh incident the number of animal’s deaths in Peshawar zoo rose to ten in the current year.
