Someone should speak on the plight of animals

In a country where people die like flies and insects, animal rights seems an insignificant issue. More than 1,300 people have died in Karachi in the 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. Moreover, Pakistani society hates calling itself a Social Animal — a term which is a part of human consciousness right from the time of Aristotle. Pakistanis consider themselves higher than these wild, barbaric animals in two respects. Firstly, Pakistanis are Pakistanis, a part of a Holy Plan which will destroy all vices from the face of the earth. They are in some sense a chosen country which comes out through a holy intervention in history (A detailed explanation can be found in Haroon-ur-rasheed articles in JANG newspaper). Secondly, Pakistanis like calling themselves Asraf-ul Maqluqaat (Best of the Creation). They loosely use this term, as if it attributes to them. Hasan Nisar's interpretation of this term is more logical, at least, in the Pakistani context of this word. He writes:

"Humans are by no means above other living objects. Every human being isn't the best of the creations. In reality, it is because sometimes, some humans perform actions which are incomprehensibly superior to their limits which make them higher than other... hence every human isn't an Asraf-ul Maqluqaat. It's these honourable mentions who are called the Best of the Creation." (translation )

So, when a gang of people (alias nation-state) start considering themselves something above animals, they start exploiting everything in a style more pugnacious and aggressive compared to there fellow wild and barbaric animals.

We are not Netherlands where a political party wins two seat on the basis of protecting animal rights. Neither are we like Greece, where the Animal Defenders International banned the use of animals in circus. 

In few cases, some psuedo-educated Pakistanis give an spectacularly astonishing logic for animal rights in Europe. They say that as Europeans believe in Darwinism (although it's called evolution), therefore all animals are in the their ancestry. When Europeans protect animals, in reality they are protecting their ancestry! Thanks God, such amazingly stupid rational is not yet a part of our national psyche. (I think, sooner or later, Pakistani social study books might write down this logic to promote this idea. Pakistani historians like presenting Pakistanis as some Übermann)

If any sane person reads the news of human carnage and exploitation of animals on the same page, he or she would come up with similar remarks as above.

Animals are in a very sad state in Karachi Zoo. In the last two weeks three major events occurred.

1) Ostrich laid eggs, which will hatch in 15 days

The ostrich trying to protect her eggs
on sensing danger. — Fahim Siddiqui/White Star . Source: DAWN

Although it's a positive news, but until the eggs are hatched, we don't know whether the hatching process is a success or not. Recently, a male ostrich died at Safari Park. Reports say that he had eaten a plastic bag which led to suffocation and eventual death. 

Load shedding is a major factor for the high mortality rate of ostriches. Dr. Kazim Hussain, senior vet explains: 

“Generally, incubators are used to hatch ostrich eggs. We have also got good results when we used the facility to incubate peacock and pheasant eggs. However, prolonged loadshedding, as we are experiencing these days, render the facility useless as the embryos are suffocated to death due to a drop in temperature.”

So KESC also has a role to play in keeping these animal alive! Why don't they purchase a generator for this hatching process. If they can buy Mercedes, Mansions, and outstation trips for themselves, why not invest on a cheap 6,000 rupees generator?!  

Recently, the death of a male ostrich has created a gender imbalance. Now, there are two female ostriches and a single male ostrich. New ostriches will definitely improve this gender discrepancy.

2) Male wallaby dies  

Mother wallaby sits with her baby in their 

enclosure at Karachi Zoo. — Photo by 

White Star . Source: DAWN

Wallaby is analogous to an Australian kangaroo. It is an endangered specie, which requires more protection and care. Unfortunately, the Safari Park administration failed in protecting this precious animal.

According to reports, the animal was in a very good condition on the night before his death. The death is a shock for the safari park. They don't know how it died, tagging it a 'shock' for the park. Was this an abstruse conspiracy which came as a shock! This is analogous to the 1971 'shock', which is official a Hindu conspiracy.

Again, we experience the same Pakistani attitude towards solving a problem. They come up with a conspiracy theory, whenever a problem seems more complex than their acumen. The administration is trying to tag the wallaby death as a 'conspiracy'. Maybe, in future, we come to know that a RAW or MUSSAD agent was involved in this killing. The wallaby was crying some secret intelligence data, which was against the interest of global Zionism!

3) Arabian Oryx dies

This is the most tragic loss for the park. The Arabian Oryx was the last member if its type left at the zoo. The wallaby will again be a part of the park through breading, but the Arabian Oryx has no substitute. The death of the Arabian Oryx will diminish the beauty of the Park for good.

A file photo of the Arabian Oryx, the last at the zoo; which
died at the facility on Thursday. - White Star. Source: DAWN

The story of Oryx's death is an interesting recall:

"We had shifted the lone animal to a big enclosure after tranquillising(sic) it. It regained consciousness after more than an hour and remained in stable condition for more than three hours... at around 5.30pm, it got panicked and violently hit itself against the fence and the wall many times before we could intervene"

The 'animal' remain stable for a time and then started to behave aberrantly. I think this is analogous to our national psyche. When president Musharraf was ousted from his office and the new democratic setup came into existence, people were celebrating, enjoying, dancing, and singing. It was like a passover from dictatorship towards democracy. It was as if a new Pakistan has emerged. A more stable and democratic Pakistan. But  —  like the Arabian Oryx —  this 'stable' condition lasted for only a year or two and then  started the phase of panic and violence which made the nation 'hit itself against the fence and the wall many times before [someone] could intervene' 

Why is this animal called an Arabian Oryx? Perhaps, Muhammed bin Qasim brought it to Sindh in 711 AD. It is through the progeny of that Oryx, that all other members came to life. This Arabina Oryx wasn't just an attraction for the animal lovers, but a historical legacy has also come to an end with its death.

I think news channels and media should follow-up these news bites. Anthropologists say that humans, animals and atmosphere are an integral part of the existence triangle. If anyone of these three building blocks vanish, life will end on planet earth.