Bahawalpur Zoo
Map
29°24′10″N 71°40′54″E / 29.402764°N 71.681601°E / 29.402764; 71.681601
Date opened1942; 82 years ago (1942)[1]
LocationBahawalpur,
Punjab, Pakistan
Land area25 acres (10 ha)[1]
No. of animals~870[2]
Birds: >600[3]
Mammals: >180[3]

Bahawalpur Zoo (Urdu: بہاولپور چڑیاگھر), established in 1942, is a 25-acre (10 ha) zoological garden in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.[1] It is managed by the Government of Pakistan.[4]

The zoo has occasionally bred and supplied wild cats, such as Asiatic lions and Bengal tigers, to other zoos in the country. It also has an aquarium and zoological museum with stuffed birds, reptiles and mammals.[2]

History

Bahawalpur zoo was set up in 1942 by the former Aamir of Bahawalpur, Sir Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi.[5] It was then named "Sher Bagh" (meaning "lion garden").[6] In 1955, the administrator of the zoo Dr.Ghulam Haider Sumra was transferred to the Department of Agriculture. From 1977 to 1982, the zoo remained under the control of the Department of the Live Stock Punjab.[1] The Bahawalpur Zoo is the fourth biggest zoo in Pakistan, after Lahore Zoo, Karachi Zoo and Islamabad Zoo.[7]

Exhibits

The exhibits are a mix between old style cages and newer moated enclosures. One older exhibit houses a pair of domestic cats, jackals, and an Indian civet cat. Crocodiles are kept in a large outdoor enclosure. lions, tigers, and hyenas are housed in more modern moated enclosures. A large pond in the zoo is home to pelicans, cranes, and geese. Several peafowl are also on exhibit. Blackbuck, hog deer, nilgai, European red deer, chinkara, and European mouflon are all housed in large paddocks.[8]

The zoo also includes a museum with stuffed animals, including what is claimed to be the last lion shot in the Punjab.[8]

Criticism

The zoo has received criticism various times for its neglect of animals often resulting in poor living conditions.[9][10]

Animals

Conservation

This zoo has bred various threatened species of Asiatic lion, Asian black bear, Bengal tiger, blackbuck and hog deer. Others like chinkara (Indian gazelle), chital (spotted deer), and nilgai (blue bull) are also breeding successfully in the zoo.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Bahawalpur Zoo Introduction". mybahawalpur.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Zoological Gardens in Bahawalpur". travelspedia.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  3. ^ a b Shaheen, Arshad (24 April 2011). "Bahawalpur zoo's mane attraction goes underfed". tribune.com. Bahawalpur: The Express Tribune. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Zoos and Breeding Centers of Pakistan". wildlifeofpakistan.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Bahawalpur Zoological Garden". thebahawalpur.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Forest, Wildlife & Fishries Department". Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  7. ^ a b Heron, Anthony (May 2009). "BahaWalpur Zoo". goodzoos.com. GoodZoos. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Animal rights: No water for animals at Bahawalpur Zoo". 8 June 2013.
  9. ^ "Bahawalpur Zoo's tale of neglect". 21 September 2013.
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