Authorities have started preparations to transfer Rano, a bear currently residing in Karachi Zoo, to Gilgit-Baltistan on the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) directives.
Earlier this month, SHC ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to relocate the animal from Karachi Zoological Gardens to the Bear Sanctuary managed by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board within two days, marking an end to the years-long plight of the brown bear.
Today, Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah chaired a high-level meeting at the Sindh Secretariat to review the arrangements for Rano’s relocation, a statement by the secretary’s spokesperson Farhat Imtiaz Janwari said.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Forest and Wildlife, Municipal Commissioner KMC, Conservator Sindh Wildlife Department, representatives from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, and other wildlife experts.
The participants briefed the chief secretary on the progress made so far regarding the bear’s transfer, the statement added. The Sindh Wildlife Department informed the meeting that a specially designed iron cage meeting all safety standards has been prepared for Rano’s relocation.
“It was further informed that wildlife experts and trainers are currently engaged in daily training sessions to help Rano adjust comfortably to the new cage.”
Dr Aamir and Mrs Abida Raees from Karachi Zoo, wildlife rangers Abbas, Anees, and Sanna Raja from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, and wildlife trainer Abid from the Sindh Wildlife Department are jointly supervising Rano’s behavioural training, per the statement.
According to experts, Rano has shown a positive response to the training. She has developed a friendly bond with wildlife ranger Sanna Raja and eagerly awaits her daily visits near the cage. Rano has also begun eating honey directly from Sanna’s hand, indicating strong trust and progress in her behavioral adaptation.
Shah directed that Rano must not be forcibly captured or sedated during the transfer process. He emphasised that the bear should voluntarily enter the transport cage through gradual and positive reinforcement training methods.
The chief secretary also instructed that the entire transfer process be recorded on video for documentation and transparency. He also directed the Sindh Wildlife Department to ensure that all arrangements in Islamabad are completed before Rano’s transfer.
As per the Sindh High Court’s order, Rano will first be shifted to Islamabad and then to her final sanctuary destination in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He further directed the Wildlife Department to forward a case to the Sindh Cabinet proposing a complete ban on the import of exotic (non-native) animals.
Shah observed that exotic animals suffer from depression and trauma due to the lack of a natural habitat and climatic compatibility in captivity.
He added that Pakistan is a party to several international conventions, including the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Chief Secretary Shah stressed that wildlife protection and ethical management of animals must be ensured in all zoos and wildlife habitats across Sindh in accordance with both local and international standards.
Languishing in a barren cage, Rano, a Himalayan brown bear, was reportedly brought to Karachi Zoo in 2017 along with an Asiatic black bear who died in 2020.
Earlier this month, the bear was undergoing treatment for a head injury, with a zoo official saying that she had been treated earlier for the same wound, which she probably suffered after hitting the metal bars of her cage.
In January, the KMC, on the mayor’s directives, had notified a three-member committee to assess Rano’s condition, in a bid to address concerns regarding her well-being.
The committee, in its report, recommended that “the species may immediately be transferred to the bear sanctuary at Balkasar“ — the only bear-specific sanctuary in Pakistan — and suggested that Rano’s DNA testing be carried out to identify its exact species.
While the committee expressed satisfaction over the bear’s diet, physical health, and finding no wounds/injuries on her body, it observed “unusual behaviour” of the brown bear, suggesting she was “under stress”.
The team also noticed “heavy noise” during the visit, and said it seemed to be “beyond the permissible decibels”.
Animal rights activists say that Rano is a Himalayan brown bear — a critically endangered species — and not a Syrian species as claimed by zoo officials.
