PESHAWAR: An animal rights group has expressed concern over the death of a Bengal tigress in the Peshawar Zoo, and lack of veterinary services for the wild animals in the facility.

Lucky Animal Protection Shelter, which provides temporary shelter to stray and injured animals in the provincial capital, said in a statement here on Saturday that the death of the tigress on Tuesday indicated absence of skilled manpower and treatment facilities in the zoo.

The statement said Peshawar Zoo had been constantly in the news since its opening in 2018 for the high number of animal deaths, unsuitable enclosures and lack of veterinary services for animals.Despite high number of deaths, the zoo’s administration did not take the matter seriously which resulted in the fatality of another threatened wild animal, it said.

A Bengal tigress died in the zoo on Tuesday, four days after being injured by its mate.

The statement said it was matter of a concern that too many tigers had been brought into the zoo to share the same enclosure. It said the incident which resulted in the death of the tigress might not have happened had the management of the zoo followed the international guidelines by providing maximum space to the animals and veterinary services in the facility.

The statement further said the body was greatly concerned about the physical and mental well-being of the animals at the zoo, and requested the Peshawar High Court and the provincial government to take immediate action against those whose negligence and incompetence resulted in the animals’ deaths.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2020