Karachi Zoo director takes responsibility of animal deaths

KARACHI: 

Karachi Zoo director Muhammad Faheem Khan admits that the carelessness of technical staff and caretakers has resulted in the deaths of eight animals at the Karachi Zoo.

“I had suffered a heart attack last week and was hospitalised,” he reasoned, adding that there was no one to take charge of the post behind him. “No one had imagined that this killer heatwave could affect animals such as peacocks and monkeys too,” he said. The director said he had declared an emergency for the four zoologists and veterinary doctors in the zoo and increased their working hours.

At least eight animals, including birds, have died in the Karachi Zoo during the last week. These include two peacocks, a brown monkey, a fallow deer, one hyena and two green monkeys.

“Unfortunately, our zoo does not have the facility of fans and air-conditioned cages for animals like other zoos across the world.” Khan pointed out that the Karachi Zoo had open cages, which was why the heat directly affected the animals. “Even the water in their ponds becomes hot when the mercury rises up to 44 degrees centigrade.