The World Animal Day was celebrated in the Department of Zoology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro on Thursday with the pledge to promote the cause of welfare of defenseless and adorable creatures.

Inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri, PVC Main Campus Prof. Dr Abdul Sattar Shah, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences Prof. Dr. Naheed Kaka, Dean Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr Muhammad Ali Ghoto, other faculty members, representatives of livestock department besides a large number of students participated in the celebrations.

The students put on display the posters and pictures of environmentally friendly animals for visitors and for raising awareness on captive life breeding. The students were also provided with an opportunity to have photographs with different decorated stalls having some birds.

The day is marked in different ways in the country but at the Sindh University, a seminar was organized to mark the day. The stress was on the protection and conservation of animals and raising awareness among the people to stop animal killing and their fights.

Addressing the seminar, the Vice-Chancellor professor Dr Fateh Marri said that animals were environment friendly and efforts should be made to save their different species.

He said that the concept of animals’ well-being aimed to promote their conservation in the wild as well as revealed cruelty towards them in captivity.

“Let’s aim to celebrate animal life in all forms and their relationship with humankind. It is important to acknowledge the ecological importance of animals as they bring us closer to nature”, he said and added that there was a dire need to raise awareness about all animal issues that exist throughout the world.

“Today, animals across the world face potential threats to their survival due to a rapidly increasing global population, wetlands and forests conversion into agricultural lands and construction of new housing colonies,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

He said that exotic species of animals posed potential threat to indigenous wildlife and ecosystems and illegal hunting was bringing many species to the verge of extinction.

“Wildlife species are declining because of illegal trade, habitat loss and conflict with local communities”, he said.

He highlighted the need to work for better welfare of all animals, including horses, donkeys and mules. He stressed on the impact of these animals’ hard work on the economy in the wake of rising living and commodities costs.

Dr Marri also stressed on how important the productivity of working animals was for the livelihoods of poor animal owning communities.

PVC Dr Abdul Sattar Shah said that the donkeys, horses and mules had been the loyal and longstanding earning of the different parts of the country.

He urged the government to take immediate steps for the rehabilitation of flood-affected animals.