In a bid to remove dacoits from Shalo Belo near Sukker, the Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism, Rauf Siddiqui, is planning a safari park where hunting will be one of the many facilities offered to the country’s recreation starved public. According to a report in DAWN,
It is the present government’s idea to provide maximum possible recreational spots to public.
The managing director of the Sindh Tourism Corporation has been lined up to be deputed as the director of this project. If all goes as planned, tourists to Sukker will soon be able to line up, rifles in hand, for their turn to kill animals confined somewhere on the 150 square kilometers alloted for this unique safari park.
The Central Zoo Authority that regulates the functioning of zoos in India defines safari parks as
specialised zoos where the captive animals are housed in any large naturalistic enclosures and the visitors are allowed to enter the enclosure to view the animals in a mechanised vehicle or a predetermined route from close quarters.
In a typical safari park, as is the case with ones located in or around cities, one is supposed to go see the animals, not kill them. Being offered up to be shot by blood thirsty tourists on vacation is no less than canned hunting.
The Born Free Foundation defines canned hunting as
the hunting of captive animals that are trapped within enclosures and have little chance of escape.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums requires its members to have a high standard of ethical conduct, and opposes
the use, or supply of animals for “canned hunting”, i.e. shooting animals in confined spaces, or when semi tranquilised or restrained.
No Pakistani zoo is listed as a member on their website and probably none subscribe to their ethics either. They have their own standard operating procedures, and tend to work in mysterious ways. Here, the Zoological Survey Department advises the government on all zoological matters, including the conservation and management of wildlife. Where will the animals for the canned hunts come from? Such trivial details are unclear at the moment, but the public has a right to know on whose advice the Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism initiated a project that includes canned hunting in a safari park.
We encourage you to write letters to the editors of leading newspapers in Pakistan to bring the issue of canned hunts to the public notice.
DAWN
letters@dawn.com
The News
news.post@thenews.com.pk
Daily Times
letters@dailytimes.com.pk
All letters should include the writer’s full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan, a day-time telephone number.
this is devastating to hear that canned hunting is allowed in pakistan an muslim country news papers must highligt this issue because it is inhumane
This is so brutal, but then a country like ours where mass human killings are occuring on daily basis..a place where no respect is given to human life, it is very much expected that none will be given to animals which come in the lower order.
we need drastic change and the first step towards this is change in our attitude towards animals.And for that concentrate on spreading the message that animals deserve respect and most importantly the right to life!
salam.
i am dr.shisita taj from rawalpindi, i really shocked to read about canned hunting its brutal its against islam and i thnk people who r planing for thIS r not human . i hav seen one of news of caned hunting of lions in africa,
it was really painful to watch such a thng
whn animal is runing here and there find no escape and they were shot there they r chrging 10.000 US dollars for tht
so if ther r planing here there major target is to earn mony
I REALLY CONDEMNED CANNED HUNTING,PLZ U HIGHLIGHT THIS THNG ON FRONT PAGE.////////////////////CREATE AWARENESS AMONG PEOPLE………………….ALLAH HAFIZ
Is there any update on this issue? i mean has anyone checked out facts as per plans of the government. if anyone have then kindly mail them to me at corazonado_perdidosinti@yahoo.com
an update is needed so kindly if anyone has any then please share it with us.
Please stop the canned hunt park from coming about. Pakistan has a place in the world and cannot afford the negative publicity this park will bring. It is not worth the money it might gather.
Linda E. Chene
169 Hilborn
Vallejo, CA
94590 USA
Man is a predator and has hunted prey animals for food and other uses since time immemorial.
I would rather we have the ability continue to hunt abdundant species (for food) under a controlled environment, than illegally hunt endangered animals for recreation.
Keep in mind this also generates much needed revenue for the wildlife/forestry authorities.
Animals are not stuffed toys to be oohed and aahed over. They all have a place and serve a purpose within each ecosystem.
Hunting for food (even if its recreational) is not cruel. If you go down that route then everyone should immediately become strict vegans.
Great, can’t wait for it.
Horrible, simply horrible. there must be some sort of legal intervention to this, possibly from the west (only then our people listen).