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KARACHI: Rano, a Himalayan brown bear kept at the Karachi Zoo for more than seven years, was airlifted to Islamabad on Wednesday in compliance with a court directive, after a welfare petition documented distress, behavioral trauma and injuries linked to her captivity in an unsuitable tropical enclosure.

The move marks the first phase of her relocation to a sanctuary in Gilgit-Baltistan, where the environment more closely resembles her native mountain habitat. The case has reignited national debate about the future of urban zoos in Pakistan and the treatment of large mammals kept in confined displays for public viewing.

The transfer operation was overseen by a Sindh provincial government committee that included animal welfare activists to ensure transparency and compliance with court orders. Rano had undergone several weeks of conditioning to voluntarily enter her travel crate to avoid sedation and stress.

“Rano the bear, who had already been familiarized with her transport crate at Zoo, was taken to the PAF Airbase today morning… and flown to Islamabad,” Sindh Wildlife Chief Javed Mehar told Arab News. 

He said the relocation was carried out “under the supervision of a government-appointed committee… in full compliance with the [Sindh High] court’s orders.”

Animal welfare organizations had argued that Rano had been kept alone in an environment far too hot for her species, with limited shade, enrichment or cooling. The petition cited episodes of self-harm, including the bear repeatedly hitting her head against enclosure bars, and the development of maggot-infested wounds that supporters said went untreated for extended periods.

Last week, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah instructed the Wildlife Department to draft a proposal for a province-wide ban on the import of exotic animals, emphasizing the need to house only species suited to local climate, veterinary capacity and habitat standards. 

Shah also noted Pakistan’s commitments under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which regulates the international trade of wildlife to ensure it does not threaten species’ survival, as well as other global wildlife protection agreements.

Rano is expected to remain temporarily in Islamabad before continuing to Gilgit-Baltistan, where wildlife specialists will monitor her adaptation to higher-altitude climate and rehabilitative conditions.

The relocation, activists say, could set precedent for broader reforms at major zoos in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, where multiple cases in recent years have raised concerns over animal welfare, enclosure standards and long-term sustainability of wildlife exhibits in dense urban centers.