2 days ago
Pakistan's climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Saturday ordered strict action against a group of people who killed a black bear in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to an official statement, saying such brutality cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.
A video of the incident circulating on social media shows three individuals pushing the unconscious bear down a rocky mountainside. Authorities have already lodged a police complaint and are working with the local community to ensure the accused are brought to justice.
'Such acts of violence against wildlife are utterly unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances,' an official statement quoted Malik as saying.
It added he had 'directed the Wildlife Management Boards to take strict and immediate action against those responsible.'
The minister also stressed his commitment to protecting Pakistan's wildlife and enforcing conservation laws across all regions, adding that community engagement was critical to prevent such incidents.
Acts of animal cruelty are not rare in Pakistan. In June 2024, a landlord in Sanghar district, Sindh, ordered the brutal amputation of a camel's leg for straying into his fields. Days later, another mutilated camel was found dead in the region with its legs amputated.
Animal rights activists have also condemned practices like bear dancing, where the animals are trained by being forced to stand on hot metal plates, and bear baiting, a blood sport in which the chained bear is attacked by dogs for public spectacle.
Though officially banned, both practices have been reported in parts of the country over the years.
