Lahore: The issue of canceling the Snake House contract and closing the Snake House at Lahore Zoo has reached the court.
The Lahore High Court has summoned the Secretary of Forests and Wildlife Punjab on September 26.
Lahore Zoo awarded the Snake House contract for two years to a private company for Rs. 21 million on August 16, 2023.
However, in December 2023, the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab decided to revamp Lahore Zoo, leading to its closure and new construction.
Last month, Lahore Zoo was reopened to tourists, but the company holding the Snake House contract was not allowed to reopen it.
In response, the private company obtained an injunction from the Sessions Court and filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, naming the zoo administration and the Secretary of Forests and Wildlife Punjab as respondents.
The company’s lawyer argued that the administration decided to convert the Snake House into a Reptile Breeding Center as part of the revamping project, importing reptiles worth Rs. 96 million for this purpose.
The petitioner argued that the administration does not have the authority to cancel the contract without notice.
The Lahore High Court has summoned the Secretary of Forests and Wildlife Punjab on September 26, 2024, in response to the private company’s request.
Due to the injunction obtained by the private company, the Snake House will remain closed until the case is resolved, posing a risk to reptiles worth millions of rupees.
Sources indicate that some of the imported snakes and pythons are very valuable.
Visitors to Lahore Zoo, already disappointed by the lack of animals and birds, are further let down by the closure of the Snake House.
Citizens urge the administration to reopen the Snake House as soon as possible.
The Lahore Zoo administration stated that all contracts explicitly state that the administration has the right to cancel the contract for any reason.
According to the administration, the amount paid by the private company for the contract will be refunded, and the administration will present its case in court.
The administration believes that the private company lacks the capacity to breed and care for the valuable foreign reptiles, while the private company argues that they were neither consulted nor given any notice about the decision.