Pakistan is suffering from high inflation and terrible economic conditions, which are causing hardship for citizens throughout the country. The animals are now feeling the effects as well.
Pakistan’s high inflation rate and terrible economic situation damage not only its people but also its animals. According to rumors, the Lahore Zoo has chosen to auction off its big animals, which include lions and tigers, to private individuals. According to zoo officials, it would save room and money.
There are now 29 lions in Lahore Zoo, ranging in age from 2 to 5 years. According to Tanveer Ahmed Janjua, Deputy Director of the Lahore Zoo, 12 of the large cats will be auctioned off on August 11. Apart from the lions, the zoo also has six cheetahs and two leopards.
#Pakistan's Lahore Safari Zoo is auctioning off a dozen #lions to private collectors next week to free up space and reduce the expenses to feed them https://t.co/8Izsyqc1Ac
— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) August 6, 2022
Animal rights advocates in Pakistan are opposed to the auction. They’ve proposed moving the lions to other zoos or offering female lions contraception. “Once such an auction takes place from the zoo, it would become a business that will badly affect wildlife protection,” activist Uzma Khan warned.
The officials have set the minimum offer for the lion at $700. They anticipate earning roughly 20 lakh Pakistani rupees each lion. The auction will be available to the public. Interestingly, goats in India have fetched higher sums than the minimum bid price established by Lahore Zoo officials for the lions.
Notably, Lahore Zoo Chief Veterinary Officer Mohammad Rizwan Khan stated in a statement that the officials sought to sell the lions last year as well, but the procedure was halted owing to a lack of appropriate paperwork.
Pakistan is taking tremendous measures to cut expenditures and raise income, yet it is all in vain. Recently, Pakistan’s Minister of Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, urged people to consume less tea in order to reduce the strain on the country’s foreign reserves. Pakistan is the world’s largest tea importer. In 2020, it imported $646 million in tea while exporting just $15.2 million. Kenya supplies the majority of its tea.
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