Karachi Zoo: A Symbol of Pakistan\’s Ethical Decline
The Tragedy of Karachi Zoo: A Mirror to Human Indifference
In the heart of Karachi, a city known for its vibrant culture and bustling life, lies a place that stands as a stark reminder of human apathy and moral decay. The Karachi Zoo, once a symbol of conservation, has become a tragic testament to neglect and cruelty. It is not just the animals that suffer here; it is the very essence of humanity that is questioned.
Journalist Aniqa Atiq Khan\’s investigative piece delves into the harrowing realities within the zoo. The images painted by her words are haunting: lions lying motionless, monkeys licking rusted bars, and a Himalayan brown bear named Rano pacing endlessly in a state of psychological torment. \”Captivity is its slow suffocation,\” Khan writes, capturing the despair of these creatures trapped in their rusty cages while families enjoy picnics, children zip-line, and Bollywood music fills the air.
The contrast between the joy of human activities and the suffering of the animals is grotesque. Cafes named after lions thrive just meters away from their suffering namesakes, highlighting the absurdity of this situation. Animal welfare experts describe the zoo as a \”prison,\” not a sanctuary. Zohare Ali Shariff, a veteran in wildlife management, argues that most enclosures are psychologically torturous: \”You can\’t tease them. This is just the opposite. These are prisons.\”
Rano\’s story epitomizes the zoo\’s cruelty. Once trapped in a \”bear pit,\” she now lives in a marginally larger cage, pacing endlessly under Karachi\’s blistering sun. Her wound, infested with maggots, is a result of her repeated ramming her head into the bars. This is not just an individual tragedy but a reflection of systemic neglect.
Activists like Jude Allen and Mahera Omar of PAWS highlight the absence of \”enrichment\” – essential space, natural textures, and stimuli that mimic the wild. Instead, the zoo has become a profit machine where ghost employees thrive and revenues from ticket sales vanish without trace. \”There\’s enough money to make the zoo a sanctuary,\” Allen says. \”It\’s infuriating to see neglect while the administration calls it progress.\”
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), which runs the zoo, dismisses these allegations, insisting that \”as long as an animal can walk, eat, and looks fine, it is healthy.\” However, experts counter that physical survival isn\’t the same as well-being. They argue that the animals are enduring a slow psychological death, a reality that is often overlooked.
Beyond the zoo, the report exposes a deeper cultural rot. In society, exotic animals are kept as luxury pets or wedding props, where empathy is traded for spectacle, and where cruelty is disguised as education. Khan draws on global parallels, invoking the legacy of Jane Goodall, who spent her life dismantling humanity\’s illusion of superiority. \”Until we learn to see the beating hearts beneath fur, feather, and scale as kin rather than conquest,\” she writes, \”we remain the lesser species – clever, yes, but not yet wise.\”
This is not just a story about animals; it is a call to action for humanity to reflect on its values and responsibilities. The Karachi Zoo serves as a mirror, reflecting the depths of human indifference and the urgent need for change. It is a reminder that true progress is measured not by the ability to survive, but by the capacity to thrive with compassion and respect for all living beings.
