A two-month-old bear cub is on the loose after it escaped its cage at the Peshawar Zoo, said deputy director of the Zoo Niamat Ullah to Media on Thursday.
The two-month old cub was in a cage with its mother when one of the caretakers left the door open on September 19. The cub escaped but its mother stayed in the cage.
They had arrived at the zoo from Dir two days earlier.
The administration is currently examining CCTV footage and believes the cub may still be at the zoo. The cub hasn’t been seen in footage of the zoo’s exit points.
Niamat Ullah expressed that there are chances that the bear is ‘missing’ inside the zoo otherwise people would have informed the zoo administration. He further informed that they have made different points inside and all the zoo staff is searching together.
“There is currently some renovation work going on at the zoo and a lot of heavy machinery inside. We believe the cub could be hiding there somewhere,” he added.
The official said that the bear is lost during the change of shift and they were conducting an investigation to identify all those responsible.
“We have started internal inquiry to identify all those responsible for the loss of two-month-old bear,” the deputy director told media. He added that when the inquiry is completed and responsible persons are identified, the findings will be shared with the media.
Niamat further ensured the people that there is nothing to fear about as a two-month-old bear isn’t a threat and cannot hurt anyone. However, the administration has had announcements about its disappearance made via local mosques.