KARACHI: A team of wildlife experts from a leading international animal welfare organization arrived in Islamabad on Friday to help eight dancing and baiting bears rescued by local authorities in Pakistan and discuss the possibility of saving and relocating more such animals.
Founded in 1988 in Vienna, Four Paws operates globally with various projects aimed at improving conditions for animals in captivity, rescuing animals from crisis and conflict zones, and promoting humane treatment of wildlife, pets and farm animals.
Its team of experts arrived in Pakistan in response to an urgent request by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board to support the local authorities with the veterinary treatment and neutering of the eight bears.
“It is crucial to assess the health of all bears and our priority to neuter them to prevent unwanted breeding,” Four Paws veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil, who is leading the action in the country, said in a statement. “That way we can ensure ethical wildlife management going forward.”
“We are grateful for the trust of the Pakistani authorities in our expertise and committed to improve the lives of as many bears as possible,” he added. “We will also support the preparation of enclosures for the new arrivals at the rescue center and ensure proper care for all animals going forward.”
The organization’s president and CEO, Josef Pfabigan, also pointed out Four Paws had witnessed the suffering of bears used for human entertainment in its decades of work.
“Four Paws welcomes the action the Pakistani government is taking against such cruel practices, and we are happy to work together on this important cause,” he said. “With our successful collaboration Four Paws aims to find sustainable long-term solutions for the animals and help law enforcement to effectively put an end to the illegal practices of dancing bears and bear baiting in Pakistan.”
Bear baiting continues to be a reality in the country where these animals are subjected to fights against trained dogs for entertainment, though the practice has long been declared as illegal.
These fights inflict severe physical and psychological trauma on bears, often resulting in broken teeth, pierced snouts and the removal of claws.
Dancing bears are captive or bred bears forced to perform tricks for entertainment. Their training methods include painful measures like hot metal plates and metal rings through sensitive noses and jaws, allowing owners to exert control over the bears.
Bear dancing and bear baiting are age-old traditions in the region, introduced to the local society as a sport by the British.
Four Paws has previously engaged in efforts to improve the conditions of elephants in captivity in Pakistan.
Most notably, the organization worked on the case of Kaavan, an elephant kept in Islamabad Zoo, who was dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant.”
Four Paws led a high-profile campaign for his relocation to a sanctuary in Cambodia, which was successfully completed in late 2020.
Four Paws team arrives in Pakistan to support bears rescued from human captivity
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Four Paws team arrives in Pakistan to support bears rescued from human captivity
- Bear dancing and baiting are common in Pakistan, inflicting severe physical and psychological trauma on these animals
- Four Paws previously engaged in efforts to improve the conditions of elephants in local zoos in different Pakistani cities
Pakistan vaccinates over 44 million children as nationwide anti-polio drive enters last day
- Pakistan kicked off seven-day nationwide anti-polio campaign on Feb. 2 to vaccinate over 45 million children
- Pakistan reported 31 polio cases in 2025, a significant drop from the alarming 74 cases it reported in 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health volunteers have vaccinated over 44.1 million children against poliovirus in six days so far, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said on Sunday as the nationwide campaign entered its last day.
Pakistan kicked off the seven-day anti-polio campaign on Feb. 2 to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five against poliovirus.
In Punjab, health workers have vaccinated over 22.9 million children, in Sindh 10.4 million, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 7.1 million, in Balochistan 2.324 million, in Islamabad over 455,000, in Gilgit-Baltistan over 261,000 and in Azad Kashmir over 673,000 in the last six days, the NEOC said.
“In six days, vaccination of more than 44.1 million children has been completed across the country,” the NEOC said in a statement.
It said over 400,000 trained polio workers are going door-to-door to administer polio drops to children.
“Open your doors for polio workers and ensure your children receive polio drops,” the NEOC said. “Parents and communities are urged to fully cooperate with polio workers.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries worldwide where polio remains endemic. The NEOC said the anti-polio drive was being conducted simultaneously in both countries.
Last year, Pakistan reported 31 polio cases, a significant drop from the alarming 74 cases reported in the country in 2024. The South Asian nation reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021, but saw a sharp resurgence in 2024.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.
Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks, particularly in KP and Balochistan.
