Pakistan to send two Himalayan bears to overseas temporarily, IHC informed

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Monday that two Himalayan brown bears will be sent to an overseas sanctuary for a specific time till a sanctuary for the animals constructed in the country, ARY News reported.

The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) counsel informed Chief Justice of the high court Athar Minallah in a hearing today that two Himalayan bears will be brought back from the overseas after construction of a sanctuary in Pakistan.

“The court only wants the welfare of these animals and always allowed the IWMB to take a decision,” Chief Justice Athar Minallah said.

The IHC had earlier directed the Ministry of Climate Change (MCC) and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) to decide by December 14 the fate of two Himalayan brown bears, Bubloo and Suzzee, currently languishing in Marghazar Zoo of Islamabad.

“We should be proud, Pakistan cares about the rights of animals. The pictures of the prime minister with animals have been published today in newspapers,” the chief justice said.

“The court lauds the wildlife board’s decision, it has no interest in the case but only interest in the rights of animals,” Justice Athar Minallah further said.

“We also want to see these animals in their natural environment,” the lawyer of the Climate Change Ministry said. “We didn’t try to influence the wildlife board’s decision,” the counsel further said.

The Himalayan bears were all set for relocation to a wildlife sanctuary in Jordan when the animals’ rights group that was supervising the project, was told that the bears would be taken care of inside the country.

This move of the Climate Change Ministry was challenged by the animals’ rights groups in the IHC.