Part 1/2
When it comes to zoos in Pakistan, getting hand on relevant material is quite difficult, as barely any official archives exist on the topic, and fewer so that are available to the general public. As such, most information comes from old newspaper articles, people's accounts and old family photos that pop up from time to time. I wanted to write about this topic for quite some time now, but had been hampered by, mostly, two reasons; lack of credible info, as I said above, and lack of time, I was occupied with my GCE A level exams. Over time I have collected a lot of info on the topic, there's still a lot to go, but now I feel confident enough to take a start.
Please note that the following is not a complete history of the zoo and I will be adding more to the topic as I gather more information about it. Also, if any of you guys have any info to add, please feel free to do so.
Lahore zoo started out as a private aviary in the ownership of Lalla Mela Ram, a well off Hindu resident of Lahore. In 1872 the aviary was presented to the Lahore Municipal Corporation. Over the next 100 years the zoo kept changing management from one institution to another until, it finally ended up under the Punjab Wildlife Department. Throughout this time the zoo was in all aspects, Victorian, with the animals, which were mostly native bird species. The only major development during this time period was the construction of the pachyderm house, which was completed in 1972, and its first resident, Raja the hippopotamus, arrived two years later. Raja would live to a ripe old age of 51, becoming the zoo's oldest resident in the process.
Starting in 1982, with the transfer of management to the Wildlife Dept., the zoo underwent a major overhaul, in terms of both housing facilities and animal collection. The lions and tigers, which were resident at the zoo since its founding, were given new enclosures consisting of several indoor compartments and large moated enclosures. The lion house has, since that time, remained more or less unchanged, with the exception of larger outdoor areas for the tigers. In 1988 the zoo's African elephant, Suzi, arrived. Suzi would grow up to become one of the zoo's and Lahore's most iconic and loved residents. The pachyderm also received a pair of Southern white rhinos in 1989.
Throughout the its history Lahore zoo has displayed various species of monkeys, ranging from local and easily available species, such as rhesus macaques and grey langurs, to more exotic and at times, endangered, species like mandrills and spider monkeys. Till 2012 these were housed in two small buildings, in cramped conditions and on concrete floors, and as such suffered; the zoo's grey langurs and last mandrill died in 2005, due to weather related causes. In 2012, construction of the new monkey enclosures were completed and all the zoo's primate residents, save the chimps and macaques were shifted to the new houses. Currently these enclosures house a female mantled guereza, a family of 9 olive baboons, including 5 juveniles born at the zoo, 3 tufted capuchins and a troop of 5 vervet monkeys. The first chimpanzees, Romeo and Julie, arrived in 1994 and become a public sensation when Julie gave birth to a healthy male, Tinku. The following year in August, Julie once again gave birth, this time to twin sisters, Honey and Pinky. Tinku died in 2004 of pneumonia, Romeo also died of the same disease in 2008 despite treatment. Julie died in 2012 of hepatitis and Pinky died in 2014 of gastro enteritis, leaving Honey the last of the family. A bigger enclosure has been built for chimpanzees but is currently occupied by a pair of Himalayan brown bears.
Lahore Zoo hasn't had a good experience in keeping giraffes. The earliest record of giraffes, available to me, is when the zoo's, at the time, last giraffe died in 1994 after swallowing a plastic bag that a visitor used to feed it. In 2007, the zoo acquired three giraffes, one male and two females. A female giraffe died in 2009 after being attacked by a zebra that was sharing its enclosure. The zoo has kept its giraffes separately ever since. The remaining female, Twinkle, fell while moving through her enclosure and dislocated her 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae, resulting in her death. The remaining male died in April, 2015 after suffering a heart attack. On 26, June, 2018 the zoo welcomed a trio of giraffes imported from South Africa. One of these, a female, died 4 days while still in quarantine.
--End Part 1--
When it comes to zoos in Pakistan, getting hand on relevant material is quite difficult, as barely any official archives exist on the topic, and fewer so that are available to the general public. As such, most information comes from old newspaper articles, people's accounts and old family photos that pop up from time to time. I wanted to write about this topic for quite some time now, but had been hampered by, mostly, two reasons; lack of credible info, as I said above, and lack of time, I was occupied with my GCE A level exams. Over time I have collected a lot of info on the topic, there's still a lot to go, but now I feel confident enough to take a start.
Please note that the following is not a complete history of the zoo and I will be adding more to the topic as I gather more information about it. Also, if any of you guys have any info to add, please feel free to do so.
Lahore zoo started out as a private aviary in the ownership of Lalla Mela Ram, a well off Hindu resident of Lahore. In 1872 the aviary was presented to the Lahore Municipal Corporation. Over the next 100 years the zoo kept changing management from one institution to another until, it finally ended up under the Punjab Wildlife Department. Throughout this time the zoo was in all aspects, Victorian, with the animals, which were mostly native bird species. The only major development during this time period was the construction of the pachyderm house, which was completed in 1972, and its first resident, Raja the hippopotamus, arrived two years later. Raja would live to a ripe old age of 51, becoming the zoo's oldest resident in the process.
Starting in 1982, with the transfer of management to the Wildlife Dept., the zoo underwent a major overhaul, in terms of both housing facilities and animal collection. The lions and tigers, which were resident at the zoo since its founding, were given new enclosures consisting of several indoor compartments and large moated enclosures. The lion house has, since that time, remained more or less unchanged, with the exception of larger outdoor areas for the tigers. In 1988 the zoo's African elephant, Suzi, arrived. Suzi would grow up to become one of the zoo's and Lahore's most iconic and loved residents. The pachyderm also received a pair of Southern white rhinos in 1989.
Throughout the its history Lahore zoo has displayed various species of monkeys, ranging from local and easily available species, such as rhesus macaques and grey langurs, to more exotic and at times, endangered, species like mandrills and spider monkeys. Till 2012 these were housed in two small buildings, in cramped conditions and on concrete floors, and as such suffered; the zoo's grey langurs and last mandrill died in 2005, due to weather related causes. In 2012, construction of the new monkey enclosures were completed and all the zoo's primate residents, save the chimps and macaques were shifted to the new houses. Currently these enclosures house a female mantled guereza, a family of 9 olive baboons, including 5 juveniles born at the zoo, 3 tufted capuchins and a troop of 5 vervet monkeys. The first chimpanzees, Romeo and Julie, arrived in 1994 and become a public sensation when Julie gave birth to a healthy male, Tinku. The following year in August, Julie once again gave birth, this time to twin sisters, Honey and Pinky. Tinku died in 2004 of pneumonia, Romeo also died of the same disease in 2008 despite treatment. Julie died in 2012 of hepatitis and Pinky died in 2014 of gastro enteritis, leaving Honey the last of the family. A bigger enclosure has been built for chimpanzees but is currently occupied by a pair of Himalayan brown bears.
Lahore Zoo hasn't had a good experience in keeping giraffes. The earliest record of giraffes, available to me, is when the zoo's, at the time, last giraffe died in 1994 after swallowing a plastic bag that a visitor used to feed it. In 2007, the zoo acquired three giraffes, one male and two females. A female giraffe died in 2009 after being attacked by a zebra that was sharing its enclosure. The zoo has kept its giraffes separately ever since. The remaining female, Twinkle, fell while moving through her enclosure and dislocated her 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae, resulting in her death. The remaining male died in April, 2015 after suffering a heart attack. On 26, June, 2018 the zoo welcomed a trio of giraffes imported from South Africa. One of these, a female, died 4 days while still in quarantine.
--End Part 1--
