PPA
ISLAMABAD:Animals are equal owners of this land and human beings are supposed to share the land with them rather eliminate them or imprison them in cages where they are deprived of their natural habitat. This was the message or appeal sent to all by Chairperson Islamabad Wild Life Management Board (IWMB) Rina Saeed Khan on 30th Jan 2024 in an interaction with media persons. IWMB arranged a media tour to Rescue and Rehabilitation Center at old Islamabad Zoo to share the work done so far on the rehabilitation of different animals. The animals included a young Bengal tiger “Baboo” , 7 black bears, many kites, monkeys especially.
Second Chance Wildlife NGO is sponsoring IWMB partially, in the rehabilitation at the center but they seem to have full control of this facility taking advantage of the lack of funds in IWMB. This NGO was outsourced in Nov 2023 only after two month of its creation in Sep 2023.
The representative of Second Chance Mr. Ludo Van Vooren briefed the media in detail about the environment, food, habitat the animals need for their natural growth and health.
Ms Rina Saeed Khan shared with media, “IWMB has converted the site of Zoo into wildlife rescue center that is providing assistance to all species of wild animals in distress. Since Aug 2021 the Center has rescued and rehabilitated approximately 381 animals including mammals, birds and reptiles. The center was outsources to Second Chance NGO in Nov 2023. Currently the center is rehabilitating 51 animals. IWMB has housed here 7 Black bears , Rheses monkeys and Pangulins 15 of which have been released in their wilderness so far. The monkeys will also be set free in their natural environment in Margalla hills when rehabilitated completely.
Anila Umair and Sana Raja are renown volunteers having remarkable contributions to rehabilitation of animals in and around twin cities Rawalpindi Islamabad were also present. The Bengal tiger was saved and brought back to life by these two young ladies. Tiger was 4 months old when they came to know about its miserable condition in a private house. They approached the family and took over the rare specie to conserve it. Now the tiger is 16 months old , healthy and energetic to live his full life ahead.
Ms Rina Saeed proudly shared , “IWMB’s most famous rescue has been of a leopard from Defence Housing Authority Islamabad area who was successfully rescued and released back into the wilderness of Margalla Hills in 2022.”
IWMB seeks cooperation from law enforcing agencies to check and stop animal trafficking. Ms Rina Saeed Khan briefed the media about Leopard cats recovered during trafficking in Karachi. They were later released in Margallah Hills National Park along with several rehabilitated Porcupines, Foxes, Golden Jackals, Civet cats and bird species like Kites and Spotte Owls.
Second Chance Wildlife is currently conducting limited guided tours of the center for students and animal lovers. But regarding media persons , the attitude of the representatives was not welcoming. They were hardly allowing media to take pictures and videos of the animals they were presenting as rescued and rehabilitated.
A lady in the team of Second Chance was most of the time negative to all media approaches to her. She even did not allow media to take shorts of the tiger with two ladies Anila and Sana as both of them were appreciated in the presser for their contribution to save the tiger. The lady, a foreigner was posing extra possessive about the animals in the center.