You may have heard the story of Kaavan, the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who recently was finally rescued from a zoo after years of mistreatment.
His story helped shed light on the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, which has long been under fire by animal rights activists over their treatment of animals. While Kaavan was the most famous victim, he was far from alone.
But now, there is some great news: Marghazar Zoo is finally shutting down for good, after its last two animals have been moved to a sanctuary.
Bubloo and Suzie are 17-year-old Himalayan brown bears who have spent the last 13 years in captivity at the infamous zoo.
According to the Daily Mail, both bears have lived lives of misery in captivity and display signs of abuse and neglect.
The bears were taken from the wild as cubs to be a “dancing bears,” and had all their teeth pulled out to keep them from attacking their abusive trainers, before arriving at the zoo in 2007.
But their condition didn’t improve much since then. Both bears were found rocking back and forth, a sign of “years of mistreatment” and boredom from being kept in cramped quarters.
They also continued to suffer from their teeth removal: Bubloo has an abscessed tooth that makes him aggressive, while Suzie suffers from malnutrition.
But now, their nightmare is over. According to Daily Mail, the bears will be taken to a shelter in Jordan and put in the care of the Princess Alia Foundation and FOUR PAWS International. and live their lives in a sanctuary.
Even better news: they are the last two animals to be rescued from the Marghazar Zoo, which has been open since 1978 and has become known for the poor conditions of their animals.
‘The Islamabad zoo is now completely closed for both public and officials,’ Saleem Shaikh, spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of climate change, told AFP.
The zoo, which once housed nearly a thousand animals, will now be shut down for good and converted into a wildlife sanctuary.
The news was celebrated by FOUR PAWS International, who has been instrumental in rescuing animals from this zoo, including Kaavan.
“We are happy that the Ministry of Climate Change and the IWMB took yet another decision in favour of animal welfare,” they wrote on Facebook.
“Suzie and Bubloo will find a species-appropriate home and the proper care they urgently need. Thanks again to the Pakistani authorities and community for their ongoing support in providing a better future for wildlife.”
We’re so glad Suzie and Bubloo are finally rescued, and after a lifetime of suffering they will finally be able to live in peace.
We’re also glad this infamous zoo is finally shutting down for good. Share this great news!
