KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday directed a committee, constituted by the chief minister for the shifting of female bear Rano, to visit the Karachi Zoological Gardens (Karachi Zoo) on Sunday (tomorrow) to examine the physical and mental health of all the animals.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Syed Fiaz-ul-Hassan Shah also ordered the committee to specially inspect the health of the lone brown bear Rano for her shifting to a sanctuary in Islamabad.

The bench was hearing a petition filed for the relocation of Rano and the SHC had twice ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and others to relocate Rano to the bear sanctuary under the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board.

On Friday, the bench took up for hearing an application filed by the counsel for the petitioner, seeking an urgent hearing of the petition.

The lawyer, Muhammad Jibran Nasir, submitted that the order passed by the bench on Oct 17 had not been complied with by the respondents, so much so that the visit of the committee had not been scheduled yet.

He also argued that even the proposed cage to be placed in the enclosure of Rano to lure the animal into it for transportation purposes had not been placed.

The counsel further maintained that he has written letters to the KMC and other respondents for scheduling the visit of the committee, but to no avail.

The bench in its order said, “With the consent of learned AAG [assistant advocate general], we fix 02.11.2025 as a date for visit by the committee constituted in terms of order dated 17.10.2025 to visit the brown bear and other animals to ascertain their physical and mental health, specially of brown bear for the shifting of which to Islamabad this petition has been filed. Matter is already fixed on 06.11.2025 and be taken upon the same date”.

On Oct 17, the SHC had ordered the committee to visit the Karachi Zoo along with the petitioner Jude Allen Pereira, his counsel, Dr Nazeer Hussain Kalhoro from Sindh Institute of Animal Health and wildlife photographer Zafar Shaikh in the first instance and prepare a detailed report about number of animals being kept at the zoo as well as physical and mental health of such animals.

It had also directed the KMC and others to shift Rano to a sanctuary in the federal capital in two weeks as authorities sought more time for the relocation of the brown bear.

The SHC further noted that since the issue was not of one bear but hundreds of animals being kept in captivity, apparently just for the entertainment of people, the court has decided to examine the whole concept of keeping zoos and caging animals.

It directed that the committee would also examine the circumstances under which these animals were being kept and also put a federal law officer on notice, asking him to file a report on the subject matter after liaising with the Ministry of Climate Change.

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Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2025