Rescued animals found confined in tiny cages

ISLAMABAD: A black bear and a striped hyena rescued earlier and kept at Perowal Wildlife Park have been shifted to other facilities after a video showing them in small cages circulated on social media.

The footage was shared by the non-governmental organisation Mission Awareness Foundation, which called on wildlife authorities to urgently address the animals’ conditions. The organisation said the striped hyena had been rescued from a circus company, while the black bear had been brought from Muzaffargarh. It said both animals had been kept at Perowal Wildlife Park for the past two months.

MAF Chairman Fahad Malik criticised the conditions in which the animals were being housed. "Keeping wild animals in cramped cages in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius is not conservation; it is cruelty." he said.

After the video gained attention online, Punjab wildlife authorities reviewed the case and arranged to relocate the animals. Wildlife officials said the black bear had been transferred to Vehari Zoo and the striped hyena to Bahawalpur Zoo. They said the move was made to place the rescued animals in more suitable facilities and improve their welfare while longer-term decisions about their management are considered.