Pakistani social media users are calling out authorities over the negligence of Karachi Zoo after a deeply concerning photo of a bear in Karachi Zoo went viral online.
Soon after, celebrities joined in to call out authorities over the lack of attention and care given to the animals in the zoo as it witnesses a hasty decline in its condition with each passing day.
Famed actor, Ushna Shah, who is recognized as a loud voice when it comes to cases of animal abuse in Pakistan, turned to her social media once again, calling out the negligence of the zoo authorities and the rampant cases of animal abuse that have been coming to surface in the country.
“Pehlee doh videos hein Karachi Zoo mein eik reech kee jo garmee mein tarap raha hei [The first two videos here are of a bear who is panting because of the heat in the zoo, whereas the third picture is of a bear in its natural habitat],” said Ushna as she referenced the content of her Instagram post.
“Jaanwaron ki numaish unkey saath na-insaafi hei aur unn pey shadeed Zulm hei. Agar janwar dekhne ka shoq hei toh unn key mohowl mein jaa key dekhna chahiye [Putting animals in captivity on display is extremely cruel and if one wishes to see animals, they should be doing so by going to their natural habitats],” she went on to say.
She further said that going to zoos makes one a complicit in the abuse that the animals face in captivity, adding that places like these should be shut down.
“Please Karachi Zoo, aur apney har sheher ley zoo key khilaaf apni local government ko likhiye aur in bey-rehem idaaroN ko bilkul bhee support matt keejiye [Please write to Karachi Zoo and the local government and stop supporting these inhumane establishments],” she requested her followers, adding that they should also encourage their relatives and friends to refrain from supporting these vicious practices.
Armeena Khan also joined in to raise her voice for the suffering creature, as she wrote: “This poor bear is thirsty, extremely hot and probably very, very hungry. The poor creature will die if something isn’t done for it. Please help.”
She also responded to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s report that claims the bear is in stable condition and is also being looked after well.
“Sir, pls release ALL Zoo animals to an appropriate sanctuary and end their suffering. These creatures belong in the wild, not in cages for our perverse entertainment. Thank you,” she wrote.
