IT has come to the notice of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society that freshwater turtles in Punjab are being massacred for profit at a scale that puts their very existence at risk. Not only are they being killed in an extremely brutal fashion, there is absolutely no check on the numbers that are being lost daily and how this must be impacting the biodiversity of the river systems.

The Punjab Wildlife Department’s nonchalant response to this crisis proves them unworthy custodians of wildlife. Instead of waiting for legislation to arm them with a right to action, they should be actively formulating laws and stretching definitions that would allow them to fulfill their responsibilities. If nothing else, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is enough to put a stop to this.

Turtles are one of the oldest continuing species on this planet, representing over 200 million years of evolutionary history. Their population should be protected and valued as a national natural heritage.

Being an animal lover, I would request Muhammad Ayub Tariq, Director-General of the Punjab Wildlife Department, to stop this senseless violence immediately, arrest the perpetrators and fine them.

KINZA KAZMI
Karachi

It is imperative that all correspondence be courteous; otherwise, our campaign will suffer.

Director General
Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department
2-Sanda Road
Lahore, Pakistan

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Thank you for all your efforts in behalf of animals!

LAHORE, Oct 9: Certain amendments have been made to the Punjab Wildlife’s Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Act 1974 through a bill submitted in the Punjab Assembly recently, wildlife officials told Dawn on Tuesday. Under the amended act, officials said, now private parties could also set up wildlife breeding farms, wildlife parks and zoological gardens.

More here.

Faisalabad: The city’s canine population has grown dramatically over the last few years and as a result hundreds of people have been bitten by stray dogs, but this is not a matter of concern for the newly-created towns or the district administration.

Visits to various areas of the city reveal that a number of people have been attacked by stray dogs. A match of stray dogs with human beings can be witnessed in most parts of Faisalabad district, especially in rural areas, when the night falls. Some of these dogs are rabies-affected and they can kill human beings in no time.

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IT is tragic that a Bengal tiger that was brought to the Lahore zoo from the Safari Park for breeding purposes died on Friday, presumably from a fatal parasitic disease. The tiger is the fifth to have died in the last year and a half, which makes it imperative for the authorities to take urgent remedial measures. If the post-mortem reveals that the latest death was also caused by the parasitic disease responsible for the other deaths, steps must immediately be taken to safeguard the remaining tigers.

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LAHORE: Expressing dissatisfaction on the campaign against stray dogs, the district nazim Mian Amer Mahmood directed the epidemic control officer to gear up efforts in this respect. He told officials to ensure the provision of the material required for killing dogs and directed to the solid waste management officials to dispose off the killed dogs at once.

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Zoo director says no one ready to adopt Suzi.

LAHORE: The Lahore Zoo authorities on Saturday urged philanthropists and educational institutions to adopt Suzi, the only elephant at the zoo. The zoo officials said the zoo was running an Adaptation Scheme to encourage people to adopt and feed animals. Under this scheme, they said, as many as 18 animals had been adopted from 2001 to 2005.

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THERE is no point in suspending Lahore zoo’s gatekeeper for Monday’s incident in which two stray dogs got into a cage and killed 28 peacocks. It is unfair to expect a lone person to be responsible for watching over such a large area. The administration must bear the responsibility of this senseless tragedy instead of finding scapegoats.

More here.