World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) has organised a workshop to support the formulation of a National Zoo Association in Pakistan on Tuesday. The workshop was attended by representatives of National Zoos, including Lahore Zoo, Lahore Zoo Safari, Karachi Zoo and Lalazar Wildlife Park (KP), Climate Change Division and WWF-P. Sally Walker, Director Zoo, was the resource person for this workshop.
Sally is a Council Member of World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) and she is also WAZA's associations' chair. Zoo is an affiliate member of WAZA SAZARC is an association member. The workshop provided an opportunity to the representatives of National level zoos and relevant stakeholders to share views regarding the formulation of National Zoo Association in Pakistan. The participants observed that establishment of a zoo association is critical in order to improve animal welfare standards, improve animal gene pool, and enhance technical expertise and conservation education programmes.
They also agreed that such association can play a significant role towards improving co-ordination between the zoos and will provide an opportunity to share knowledge and adoption of best zoo management practices. "Such an act could monitor the set up, administration, quality, safety and other aspects of captive wild animal facilities in the country," they added.