For years, Rano, a brown bear at Karachi Zoo, lived behind metal bars, far from the forests where she truly belongs. Her story became a symbol of how animals suffer in cages built for human entertainment. But this week, her fate finally changed.
The Sindh High Court ordered the zoo to move Rano to a wildlife sanctuary within 48 hours, ending her long misery. The case began when animal rights activist Jude Allen Pereira filed a petition, saying Rano was kept in cruel conditions that broke Pakistan’s laws on animal welfare.
During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro expressed anger at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for allowing the bear to suffer for so long.
“How could you keep a speechless animal in such pain for seven years?” he asked. The judge said Rano should be handed over to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, where she can finally heal and live freely.
Lawyer Jibran Nasir, representing the petitioner, said KMC had argued that moving the bear would affect “public entertainment.” The court sharply rejected this, saying, ‘We live in the 21st century. Animals are not for amusement.
They belong in forests, not cages’. Rano’s condition had become critical. She often hit her head against the cage out of distress, causing severe injuries that later became infected. Activists said she had developed worms in her wound, and her repeated suffering showed how unfit the zoo was for her care.
Rano’s move to a sanctuary will give her a chance to walk on grass, breathe fresh air, and live with dignity. Pereira called the decision “a big win for Rano,” saying, “She will finally know freedom, peace, and kindness.” The case has also reignited debate on how Pakistan’s zoos operate. True zoos, activists say, must be animal-friendly. *