23 December 2024,Islamabad( Kamran Raja): The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) today screened a short documentary, “Haven in the Hills: Islamabad’s Wildlife Ark,” showcasing the remarkable work of its Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre. The 12-minute film, produced by filmmaker Ali Ijaz, highlights the dedication of IWMB’s wildlife heroes in saving important species like common leopards and pangolins.
The screening, attended by families, media, and school children, was held at the Rescue Centre, located on the site of the old zoo. Guests were treated to a guided tour of the facility, where they met the rescued animals, before watching the documentary in an outdoor setting.
IWMB Chairperson, Rina Saeed Khan, welcomed the guests and shared her vision for the Rescue Centre. “This has been a labor of love, which started four years ago, to rescue these hapless animals, (some injured others saved from poachers others taken off the streets). Our goal is to treat and return them to the wild, and for those who cannot be returned like the former “dancing bears”, it is our responsibility to provide a safe haven. We plan to turn parts of this 28 acres rescue centre into a permanent sanctuary, especially for the Black Bears and leopards. Eventually we want to open up an educational Margallah Wildlife Centre”.
The Islamabad zoo, shut down by the Islamabad High Court in 2020, was converted into a Wildlife Rescue & Rehab Centre under the management of IWMB, an autonomous government board working under the Ministry of Climate Change. Since then, the Centre has rescued around 400 animals and birds, including black bears, leopards, lions, tigers, monkeys, pangolins, kites, owls, porcupines, and freshwater turtles, from all over Pakistan. Many healed animals have been successfully released back into the wild in last 4 years.