The animals in Pakistan are also being impacted by the country’s high inflation rate and dire economic situation. According to sources, the Lahore Zoo has chosen to sell its large cats, including lions and tigers, to private companies at auction. According to zoo officials, it would save both money and space. There are currently 29 lions in the Lahore Zoo, and they range in age from 2 to 5 years. On August 11, 12 of the large cats will be put up for sale, according to Tanveer Ahmed Janjua, the Lahore Zoo’s deputy director. In addition to the lions, he continued, the zoo also houses six cheetahs and two leopards.

The auction is opposed by Pakistani animal rights activists.They have proposed either relocating the lions to different zoos or providing female lions with contraceptives. “Once such an auction from the zoo takes place, it would become a business that will badly affect the conservation of wildlife,” warned activist Uzma Khan. The officials have set a $700 minimum offer for the lion. They do anticipate making about 20 lakh Pakistani rupees each lion, though. Everyone is welcome to attend the auction. It’s interesting to note that there have been stories of goats in India fetching higher prices than the minimum bid price officials at the Lahore Zoo have set for the lions.

Notably, Lahore Zoo’s Chief Veterinary Officer Mohammad Rizwan Khan noted in a statement that authorities had previously attempted to sell the lions but were unsuccessful owing to a lack of required paperwork. Pakistan is making significant efforts, although in vain, to cut costs and boost income. Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Minister of Planning and Development, recently urged the population to drink less tea since it would ease the strain on the nation’s foreign exchange reserves. The majority of tea is imported from Pakistan. It imported tea worth $646 million in 2020, but only exported tea worth $15 million. Its tea primarily comes from Kenya.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.