Environment is being provided for the breeding of lions : Khalid Ayaz Khan

Lahore: Director General Wildlife & Parks Khalid Ayaz Khan said that steps are being taken for increasing population of various species of lions in Lahore Zoo Park and Safari Zoo Park. He said that a natural environment is being provided for the breeding of lions due to which the number of lions and other species of this family have increased to 67 in the province.

He said this while presiding over a meeting in office, here today. Director Lahore Zoo Shafqat Ali, Deputy Director Lahore Safari Zoo Park Syed Zafar ul Hasan, Deputy Director Headquarters Muhammad Naeem Bhatti besides other officers were present in the occasion.

Khalid Ayaz Khan told that Wildlife Department has 67 lions out of which 32 are in Safari Park, 18 in Lahore Zoo Park, 12 in Bahawalpur Zoo, four in Loee Bheer and one in Muree Park. He said that there are 20 lions, 3 white lions, two Bengal tigers, one white tiger, two other tigers, two pumas and two black jaguars in Safari Zoo Park. Similarly, he said there are 12 lions, two Bengal tigers, one white tiger, two other tigers and one puma in Lahore Zoo park and eight lions, two Bengal tigers and two pumas in Bahawalpur Zoo Park. He said that there is one Siberian tiger and four lions in Murree Zoo Park and Loee Bheer Park.

Director General Wildlife & Parks stressed upon officers that they should further improve the environment for breeding of various species of lions and other animals so that they could be sent to different wildlife parks in the country. He said that a strategy has also been evolved for exchange of animals with different provinces and zoos of other countries and contacts will soon be made in this regard.