{"id":128796,"date":"2026-07-05T17:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T12:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=128796"},"modified":"2026-07-05T17:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T12:40:17","slug":"lion-kept-at-private-karachi-zoo-in-poor-condition-rescued-moved-to-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/128796\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion kept at private Karachi zoo in poor condition rescued, moved to sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KARACHI(National Times)- A lion whose distress image went viral on social media after being discovered in a private zoo in Nazimabad has been rescued and safely moved to an animal sanctuary, it emerged on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe lion was in bad shape so we had to get him out of the private zoo first in an emergency. There are still other animals that are in line to also be moved out of the place,\u201d animal activist Jude Allen told&nbsp;<em>Dawn<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said that the lion was lucky to have a chain of events take place in his favour, the most important of which was the arrival of Sana Raja, a highly experienced wildlife rescuer and behaviourist with extensive fieldwork and training including exposure to advanced conservation practices in South Africa, in Karachi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Allen got to know her during her previous mission of the rescue and rehabilitation of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1953283\">Rano<\/a>, a Himalayan bear. \u201cThis time she was back in the city after successfully rescuing another two bears from abusive captivity in Islamabad who, on the special request of [Punjab minister] Marriyum Aurangzeb, were brought to Karachi to be kept at the animal sanctuary, Primal Earth Wildlife Sanctuary [PEWS], here,\u201d said Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd it was within two days of Sana\u2019s coming to Karachi that the lion\u2019s picture was posted on social media and showing it to her I requested her to stay in Karachi to help rescue the poor lion. Eventually, it was Sana who put the lion in the crate in which she had brought the two bears here from Islamabad,\u201d shared Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is also extremely grateful to Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar, who gave necessary permission to get the lion out of the private zoo. \u201cThe legal paperwork to rescue the lion has been signed with the Sindh Wildlife by wildlife healer and founder of the PEWS, Ariana Magsi,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He recalled that when public pressure mounted and the post about the lion gained traction, crossing over 600 shares, the lion disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat followed was a coordinated effort involving rescuers, concerned citizens and government departments. When the lion was eventually located and assessed, the findings were stark. He bore clear signs of tail trauma, a painful and widely condemned method used by untrained handlers to control big cats during transport. By forcefully pulling the tail, the animal is subdued through extreme pain, often resulting in lasting injury. There was swelling near the base of the tail, consistent with such handling,\u201d Allen reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFurther examination reveals stunted growth, likely the result of repeated inbreeding, a hallmark of unregulated breeding operations. Signs of severe calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies had compromised his skeletal structure. This was not an isolated case of neglect. It was the visible outcome of a system that prioritises profit over life. And much of the damage, experts confirm, is irreversible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lion is now in quarantine at the PEWS, which happens to be Pakistan\u2019s first purpose-built facility dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of captive wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe lion is currently undergoing medical evaluation but his life going forward will be defined not by what he has lost, but by what can still be given. He may never run as a wild lion should. His enclosure will be carefully designed to account for his fragile condition. But for the first time, he will live without fear,\u201d the animal welfare activist concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KARACHI(National Times)- A lion whose distress image went viral on social media after being discovered in a private zoo in Nazimabad has been rescued and safely moved to an animal sanctuary, it emerged on Saturday. \u201cThe lion was in bad shape so we had to get him out of the private zoo first in an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lion kept at private Karachi zoo in poor condition rescued, moved to sanctuary - 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