September 25, 2003	Thursday	Rajab 27, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The unfortunate death of seven-and-a-half months old leopard cub, ‘Ronak’, has opened up a Pandora’s box as various groups of people are more engaged in stirring up controversies than making any effort to prevent such incidents in future.

It was Hamda Shafiq in whose custody the few days old cub was entrusted by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) when some environment directorate officials found it from Margalla Hills in bad condition seven months ago.

Ms Shafiq, with the assistance of a group of people including some celebrities, invested a lot of time and money for the rehabilitation of ‘Ronak’. The leopard cub was handed back to the CDA authorities managing Marghazar Zoo who put it back in the cage.

The cub was healthy and showed no signs of ailment when it was returned to Marghazar Zoo officials. And, when the cub was found dead in its cage some time later, Ms Shafiq was shocked and started demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the cause of the cub’s death.

She even levelled serious allegations against some senior CDA officials. However, with the passage of time, the situation has started getting calmer and all involved in the matter are focussing on efforts for a better future.

“I have nothing against anybody in the CDA. There is nothing personal against any particular person. But, indeed somebody has to shoulder the burden of responsibility. The matter of deaths of four leopard cubs in Marghazar Zoo within a year is something very serious. The matter should not be swept under the carpet once again,” Ms Shafiq said.

The director-general environment of the CDA Mazhar Hussain said the ‘latest incident was a big source of concern’.

“We had two leopard cubs deaths in the past as well and the cause was stated to be ‘suffocation’. Both the cubs were born in the zoo. However, one died only after three days of its birth while the other after 40 days.

In both cases we conducted inquiries and they were found to be cases of negligence on the part of the zoo staff and action was taken against them,” Mazhar Hussain said.

“But, Ronak’s death is something different. In fact all these incidents which occurred in the last few months are a source of concern for me and we are taking appropriate steps to find the causes and adopt preventive measures for the future,” Mr Hussain said.

He said Marghazar Zoo had an excellent record in breeding of leopards in captivity. “I believe we have one of the best records in the world. Leopards born in Marghazar Zoo have grown into adults and there are at least two adult leopards with us in the zoo that were born here,” the DG environment said.

He said the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) had completed the postmortem on Ronak’s body, but they were not handing out their findings immediately.

“We have been told that the actual cause of Ronak’s death will be ascertained only after a medical test is conducted in the ‘chemical laboratory’ of Punjab Police in Lahore.

Specimens have been sent to Lahore for examination and till the time a report comes from there it will be improper to arrive at any conclusion,” Mr Hussain said.

Meanwhile, Adil Shah, running the ‘Animal Rights Society of Pakistan’, a non-government organization (NGO), demanded registration of case against the CDA officials as well as those who kept and tended the baby leopard. He also demanded holding of an inquiry into the death of Ronak.

Mr Shah said the cub was mishandled right from the beginning. He said it was wrong from the very onset to keep the cub in domestic conditions. Leopard is an animal of wild, but was kept and groomed like a kitten in a house amidst comforts.

“When the cub was sent back to the zoo it was entirely a different environment for the young animal and it could not cope with the abrupt change and died,” Adil Shah said.