By Hamza Ameer

Islamabad, Feb 20 (IANS): In an interesting development, Pakistan's largest relief and rescue emergency service Rescue 1122 is finding it very difficult to hand over a rescued monkey, which was caught after crossing over from India Punjab province's Bahawalpur city.

The monkey was rescued and caught by the department on the basis of information it received, that it was roaming around in the city.

Rescue teams captured the monkey from a 200 feet-high cellular tower after hours-long efforts.

However, after the capture of the monkey, the Wildlife Department was contacted and was asked to take the monkey and keep it in the local zoo.

But their request was denied by the Department, which later stated that they had no space in the zoo to keep the monkey.

"Our department had neither enough space nor staff at the Bahawalpur Zoo to take additional animals," said Munawar Hussain Najmi, District Wildlife officer.

Another reason that the officer gave was that most of the animals that cross from India into Pakistan, die of injuries, adding that the Bahawalpur Wildlife Department did not even have a single vet to treat them.

"Majority of the animals that cross India to Pakistan, especially langurs and monkeys, die from injuries. We do not have a single vet to treat them. And that is why, we cannot accept them because we cannot treat them," he added.

Najmi said that previously an Indian langur died at the Shershah Check Post because of unavailability of a vet.

However, despite the fact that the wildlife department is aware that it does not have a vet to treat the injuries of such animals, no steps have been taken to equip the department to handle such incidents.