Caged for 9yrs: Obhoyaronno urges govt to relocate Gazipur Safari Park leopards to South African sanctuary
The animal welfare group says the proposed Tk67.5 lakh enclosure would offer far less space than a sanctuary that has reportedly agreed to take the animals.
Obhoyaronno – Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation has urged the government to relocate two leopards rescued as cubs from Jashore in 2017 to a South African sanctuary, saying they have spent nearly nine years in captivity.
The organisation's appeal comes as authorities plan to build a dedicated 150-square-metre enclosure for the animals at a cost of Tk67.5 lakh. The leopards were rescued as cubs from wildlife traffickers in Jashore in 2017 and were initially supposed to remain in quarantine for just three weeks.
In a Facebook post, Obhoyaronno said the South African sanctuary had agreed to take the leopards and could provide around 4,600 square metres of space, along with enrichment facilities, experienced staff and specialist veterinary care.
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The organisation said it had formally submitted the sanctuary's consent letter and its relocation proposal to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change earlier this month.
It urged the government to consider the offer before spending money on the proposed enclosure.
"Even if the cage is bigger, it remains a cage," the organisation said, questioning whether the planned facility should be celebrated as a solution to the animals' prolonged captivity.
According to Obhoyaronno, India's Central Zoo Authority guidelines require at least 500 square metres of open space for a pair of leopards. The organisation said the South African sanctuary allocates around 4,500-4,600 square metres for a pair and has facilities to support their welfare.
It argued that the animals' needs should take precedence over announcing a new enclosure as a solution to their prolonged confinement.
Nearly nine years in quarantine
Obhoyaronno said it first encountered the leopards at the safari park in 2024, when park officials showed its representatives two animals kept on the damp floor of a small quarantine enclosure.
The leopards had been rescued as cubs from wildlife traffickers nearly nine years ago. Although they were supposed to remain in quarantine temporarily, they have spent almost their entire lives in captivity without being moved to a suitable permanent facility, the organisation said.
It said DNA testing conducted at its request identified the animals as African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus), a subspecies not native to Bangladesh.
Obhoyaronno also raised questions about how the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) handles seized wildlife.
The organisation said decisions about seized animals should take their long-term welfare into account and consider options such as repatriation or placement in a suitable sanctuary abroad.
It claimed that the necessary discussions and consideration of alternatives had not taken place in the leopards' case, leaving them in temporary accommodation for years.
Earlier relocation plan fell through
Obhoyaronno said it had spent nearly two years seeking a permanent home for the leopards.
An earlier proposal to relocate them to a sanctuary in Zimbabwe did not materialise despite more than a year of efforts to coordinate with the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
The organisation attributed the failure to delays and coordination gaps between the two countries, saying it had retained correspondence documenting the process.
After the Zimbabwe plan fell through, it began looking for alternatives and recently secured the South African sanctuary's consent, it said.
Obhoyaronno criticised what it described as bureaucratic delays and a preference for quick solutions that could be presented as achievements without adequately addressing the animals' needs.
It said both the former environment adviser of the interim government and the current minister had supported its efforts, but administrative obstacles had continued to impede progress.
The organisation urged the government to assess the South African offer before proceeding with the new enclosure, warning that the leopards could otherwise remain confined for the rest of their lives.
It said the case could also help establish a better process for finding appropriate long-term care for other wildlife seized from traffickers in Bangladesh.
