Pakistan’s Lahore Zoo has scrapped plans to auction off 12 of its 29 lions after deciding to build new enclosures for the ever-growing troop. The sale, originally scheduled for Thursday, prompted some animal advocates to jump in, with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in particular arguing that the big cats should be moved to other zoos or that the females be spayed or used contraception.
” The main reason for the auction was lack of space said zoo deputy director Tanvir Ahmed Janjua, adding that officials have finally decided to speed up construction work on the two new enclosures. “Now that this issue will be resolved soon, there is no need for it to happen“, he justified himself.
“We can organize another auction.”
The zoo, which covers more than 80 hectares, currently houses 29 lions, six tigers and two jaguars. It is considered one of the best in the country, where zoos stand out for their mediocre facilities and poor animal care. Zoo officials had set a price of 150,000 rupees ($700) per lion, about the same price as a cow, but hoped each animal would find a buyer for about two million rupees ($9,300).
Adopting lions, tigers or other exotic species as pets in Pakistan, which are seen as outward symbols of wealth, is not uncommon. Their owners often post photos and videos of the beasts on social media and rent them out as props for films and photo shoots.
Tanvir Ahmed Janjua denied that the backlash from animal rights activists caused the auction to be cancelled. “If the lions breed more and we find ourselves running out of space again, we can easily hold another auction.“, he announced.
Source: Le Figaro
