The dolphins brought to Pakistan from Ukraine for entertainment shows few years ago have died. A private company entered into an agreement with two companies from Russia and Ukraine to import the aquatic mammals in 2000, with two males and two female dolphins along with two sea cats eventually imported.
As the Covid-19 pandemic took over and the country went into lockdown the organizers claimed they continued to feed the dolphins daily and a foreign doctor was also present to ensure their wellbeing, but the aquatic mammals died one after the other. The daily cost of feeding the fish was Rs20,000. The dolphins were accompanied by trainers from Russia and the foreign team was given a $5 share for each show ticket. Tickets for the show were priced in three categories of Rs800, 1000, and 2500.
Dr Azmi Khan, a WWF member and wildlife biologist, says entertainment shows of rare species of animals should not be allowed and such measures are discouraged internationally.
“Many countries, including India, France and Canada, have banned dolphin captivity”, Dr Khan stated adding that “keeping dolphins in captivity and playing with them increased their mortality rate and reduces their life span by half”.
