Bears rescued in Pakistan arrive at Jordan reserve

A pair of sick and badly neglected dancing Himalayan brown bears have reached Jordan where they are set to live in a sanctuary, after leaving Islamabad's notorious zoo. The bears Suzie and Bubaloo, the last of the zoo's animals, left Pakistan on Wednesday.

In Jordan, they will first go into quarantine before being taken to a spacious reserve where they will live, said Dr Amir Khalil.He is a veterinarian with Four Paws International, a global animal welfare group, who has been caring for the zoo's badly treated animals.

The bears, trained from an early age to entertain, made their way to Jordan with the assistance of the Princess Alia Foundation, headed by the eldest daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. The method of training is painful and bears, who have poor hearing, are not inclined to music.

They will receive dental care and psychological rehabilitation in Jordan, Khalil said. The 17-year-old bears, female Suzie and male Bubaloo, will live in the Al Maawa sanctuary 1,100 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level, meaning snowy, cold conditions more typical of their natural habitat.

The Islamabad High Court ordered the zoo closed earlier this year because of the outrageous conditions there, blamed on systemic negligence. The Marghazar Zoo's horrific conditions gained international notoriety when Kaavan, dubbed the world's loneliest elephant, grabbed headlines and the attention of iconic American entertainer Cher. According to its records, the zoo once contained 960 animals but 500 disappeared.

Representative Image/Pixabey