Visitors disappointed as zoo keeps Bengal Tigers out of view

The Karachi zoo was abuzz with energy on Sunday as thousands of people gathered there, eager to catch a glimpse of two of its newest guests – a pair of Bengal Tigers which had been imported all the way from Belgium. However, much to the chagrin of the visitors, the administrators had occluded the tigers’ cage by a tent.

The tigers are being kept temporarily at the zoo and will be permanent residents of Safari Park. The zoo’s director, Dr Kazim Hussain, tried to justify this move by saying, “The tigers arrived in the morning and they were agitated. We needed to keep the public away so that the animals could familiarise themselves with the new environment.”

The much anticipated white lions have also arrived in the city. One other reason that the tigers were not displayed is that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s administrator will unveil them along with the lions in a ceremony with heavy media coverage. “Hopefully, the administrator will be in the city and conduct a formal inauguration on Monday, after which we can allow the public to view the animals,” said Dr Hussain.

Not only was the presence of the tents an irritant for the visitors, but it also set the rumour mill in motion. Muhammad Shafeeq, who visited the zoo with his family, said he had no clue about what lay hidden behind the tent. “Only god knows why they are keeping this a secret. They must have been given orders by an official on a high post. There is so much politics in this country. I heard they got black tigers.” Another man standing near him said that white lions were in the enclosure while others speculated that a rare panther might be lurking just beyond sight.

The zoo draws between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors every Sunday. The number increased over the last year after the zoo’s former chief, Bashir Sadozai, ordered extensive renovations. However, some facilities are still missing and people don’t seem to know where the toilets are located. There is no proper system for families to find children who excitedly wander off and get lost in the crowd.

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Safari Park to get Bengal tiger, African lion

Puma's for the Safari Park were given temporary quarters at the Karachi Zoological Gardens

Four new animals — a hippopotamus, an African lion, a Bengal tiger and a white lion — will be arriving at the zoo within the next few months, but most of them will be moved to Safari Park once their enclosures are completed.

“We will be getting a white lion from France, a tiger and a hippopotamus from South Africa,” said Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Mohammad Hussain Syed while talking to the newsmen at the Karachi Zoological Garden. “Every few months you will be seeing an increase in animals in Karachi’s zoos.”

Half the year has already passed by. In March, the KMC had claimed that they will be getting 17 new species, making the total number of animals 48 by the end of this year. Two Pumas (Puma Concolor) from Canada are the latest acquisitions by the zoo. The pair of 4.5-year-old pumas cost Rs2.1 million. They were unveiled at a ceremony held at the zoo today. A competition will be held in schools across the city for naming the animals.

The former director of the zoological garden, Bashir Khan Saddozai, who is now the director of Safari Park, said that the park will get five animals this year for sure. “Except for the white lion, all of the animals, including the hippopotamus, bengal tiger, the pair of pumas and the African lion, will be moved to ‘cages’ in Safari Park.”

Generally “safari” denotes an area where animals can be observed in their natural habitat, or are at least free to roam about and visitors drive through. But Karachi’s Safari Park may stray from this definition.

“These animals are going to be in cages and the actual safari is a separate matter,” Saddozai said, when asked why the pumas, lions and tigers will all be in cages.

The KMC also said that an aviary will also be ready in Safari Park within three months.

In that aviary “the birds will have enough space to fly freely”.

The initial proposal for animals required at the zoo included  golden tabby tiger, white Bengal tiger, Bengal tiger, white lion, African lion, cheetah, black leopards, jaguars, white rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, greater kudus, eland, gemsbok oryx, Asian black bears, zebras, ring-tailed lemurs, De Brazza’s monkeys and black crested mangabey at an estimated cost of Rs120 million.

But not all of them will be brought in this year. “It is hard to get so many animals because the cash flow and the budget is limited,” explained Saddozai.

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South African white lions to land in Karachi

KARACHI: 

These days the zoo is buzzing with energy as the authorities prepare to greet two very expensive guests – imported white lions from South Africa at a cost of Rs10 million.

According to zoo officials, the lions will be kept in a glass enclosure, the first of its kind in the country, to make it easier for visitors to spot the jungle royals. “The enclosure will be made from acrylic glass, similar to the material used for making windows for commercial aeroplanes said the zoo’s director, Dr Karim Hussain. The lions is here today. This is the first time we’ll have white lions in the country. No one has ever brought them here.”

The zoo authorities are expecting a large crowd to visit once the white lions make their first public appearance. An excited Hussain explained that the idea behind the glass enclosure was to give the children more access to the animals. He said that this way the children would be able to measure their palms against the lion’s paws. He added that having an acrylic glass cage for animals will be the first for Pakistan.

Braveheart

The white lion is a rare animal found only in the Timbavati region of South Africa. According to the Global White Lion Protection Trust they are growing extinct.

Track record

In recent weeks, the zoo has been in news for all the wrong reasons. Many animals have died, raising doubts about the capabilities of the handlers. But the former zoo director, Bashir Sadozai, insists that there is nothing wrong with the management. “White lions do not need special caretakers,” he said. “The staff is well trained to handle the different kinds of lions. We have done all the assessments in this case.”

Import issues

The lions are being imported through a commercial trader but interestingly the authorities do not know who is exporting the animals. Dr Hussain could not confirm if the animals were reared in private confinement or official safari. “I can assure you that Sindh Public Procurement rules have been followed in letter and spirit,” he said. “According to the importer, the animals are from a captive breeding facility. The import documents of the animals will tell us everything.”

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Benefits Of Drinking Water

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Health Benefits of Coconut Water

Coconut Water Benefits

Drinking coconut water has many benefits. Coconut Water is naturally:
Low in Carbs
99% Fat Free
Low in sugars
Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help

Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
Raise your metabolism.
Promote weight loss.
Boost your immune system.
Detoxify and fight viruses.
Cleanse your digestive tract.
Control diabetes.
Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
Treat kidney and urethral stones.
Boost poor circulation.

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A year later remembering the legent Moin Akhtar

Moin Akhtar was a man of many voices and talents. In the annals of Pakistani comedy, there was no one like him and it’s unlikely that there will be again.

Whether it was his stand-up act, hosting a show or the litany of impersonations he did, Moin carved himself a place in the hearts of Pakistanis for generations to come.

Moin started his career from TV a show in 1966 and it wasn’t long before he became the dynamic and versatile performer that millions know and miss today.

Starring in roles including Rozy, Dollar Man, 47, Half Plate, Family-93, Eid Train, Bandar Road Se Kemari, and Fifty/Fifty, Moin single handedly brought a brand of comedy to Pakistani audiences that had not been seen before.

Later with Anwar Maqsood as his scribe, the writer-comedian duo developed a professional chemistry along the same lines as John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

It was a true marriage of two geniuses and with Bushra Ansari joining ranks, their decades long friendship gave rise to a golden age of Pakistani comedy.

Moin performed on various TV shows with Anwar Maqsood, including Loose Talk, Studio Dhai and others

Fluent in several of the regions languages, Moin’s versatility had no bounds. His performance in the drama “Rozy,” an Urdu adaptation of the Dustin Hoffman classic, “Tootsie”, is one of the seminal characters in Pakistani television history.

In a talk-show namely Loose Talk, which began in 2005 he appeared as a different character in each and every of more than 400 episodes.

But there was more to Moin than his ability to lampoon politicians or his uncanny impersonations of public figures. Above all, those who knew him always spoke of his incredible generosity and grace as a human being.

Despite his fame, Moin never lost the sense of where he came from and where he belonged. He appreciated the small things in life and never missed an opportunity to help those he could.

His loss a year ago left a void in the heart of the country that is unlikely to be filled. But he’s left behind a body of work that is as timeless as the spirit which he embodied.

He performed not only in Pakistan but played in several stage shows like Bakra Qiston Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai with Umer Sharif in India too.

He was awarded honorary citizenship of Dallas in 1996 for his achievements. He is also listed among Amazing Pakistanis of all time.

He died on 22 April 2011 at about 6:15pm in Karachi after suffering from a heart attack.

The world famous wax museum Madame Tussauds has expressed its wish to include a statue of Moin Akhtar in their London museum.

A true national treasure, Moin left us far too soon, but he left us with a gift that keeps on giving — Laughter.

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Designer Lawn – worth a stampede?

A “fifth” season seems to have enveloped the thoughts and senses of the women in Pakistan – the ‘Lawn Craze’ season. Come March and larger than life billboards beckon every passerby with beautiful women flashing smiles at you from advertisements put up all over town. From Bollywood actresses to Pakistani catwalks divas, these models silently promise that you will look svelte, ravishing and stylish in that particular brand of lawn. And suddenly, these lawn fabric exhibitions have become the latest status symbol of the elite of Pakistan. So what if you can’t afford to drive a seven series? You can afford to wear a designer lawn suit, the acquisition of which is more difficult than you might think. And so, the race begins.

This year has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of exhibitions of designer lawn. Also, the trend of visiting these exhibitions has trickled down the socio-economic pyramid, which means multitudes now flock to these exhibitions. Research for this blog revealed that in Karachi, in a single day, one particular lawn exhibition had around 10,000 female visitors! Each woman, if she gets her hand on them, buys anywhere between one to five suits, on an average. The cheapest possible lawn suit will cost around Rs. 1,200, while those with a bit of embroidery or of a costlier brand go over Rs. 3,000. In a country where the GST might soon clamber to 20 per cent, how are women chasing lawn as if their life depended on it?

Many seem to be “compulsive lawn exhibition hoppers” (maybe CLEH will soon be classified as a syndrome?). They must visit each and every lawn exhibition and must get their clothes stitched within the week, before a textile mill somewhere in another part of Pakistan conjures up a “copy” of the original – which often happens just within five to seven days!

If an exhibition will open its doors at 10 am, you can see prospective buyers gathering at the venue two hours prior to the event. Many lawn exhibitions have arranged for first aid, as claustrophobia and lack of oxygen due to too many women crammed in a single hall, can result in someone passing out.

Pushing, shoving and refusing to follow the queue can, and does, result in a bruise or a scratch every now and then. Eye witness accounts of respectable women abusing salesmen at exhibitions have been recorded. If the salesmen declare that the stock is finished within the first few hours of the exhibition, frustrated buyers in disbelief have actually clambered behind the tables where the lawn was being displayed! Some come back so disappointed and agitated that they vouch never to go to that exhibit again. Yet, one such lady confessed that in the afternoon when she learnt that fresh stock had arrived, she sheepishly went back there again, and returned victoriously with a bundle of joy.

Lawn is pure cotton based, absorbent and ideal to be worn in our climate. There is nothing wrong with purchasing and flaunting this beautiful fabric or indulging in a bit of retail therapy, but given the pushing, shoving and obsessing, aren’t Pakistani women going a bit overboard every passing year?

Source: Dawn News

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Computerized Contact Lenses

Can you imagine a pair of eyeglasses that could project a video image, allowing you to visualize a video display or computer screen while walking around the house? You've probably seen science fiction movies in which data streams across the periphery of an eyeglass wearer’s visual field.

Would you believe that we are starting to see these devices in the real world, most of which are bulky and difficult to wear? However, new contact lens technology may soon allow data to be streamed through a contact lens in order to provide a video display. Can you imagine wearing computerized contact lenses?

Computerized Contacts in the Real World

With computerized contact lenses, your email and text messages could be streamed right out in space, directly in front of your eyes. Such a device could mean a new life for the hearing impaired. Speech could be translated into captions in real time, enhancing lives and improving safety.

Computerized Contacts and Health Care

Researchers have said that this new technology may be able to be connected to previous contact lens biotechnology that relates to a person's health. The combination might allow an individual to collect data about their eyes and body, such as glucose concentration, temperature, blood oxygen levels, and eye pressure. A diabetic might be able to receive instantaneous updates on their glucose levels. A glaucoma patient could be alerted when medications were not controlling their eye pressure sufficiently. Because there are many chemical compounds present in human tears, we are just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to receiving complex bio-feedback information, researchers say.

Computerized Contacts Technology

Researchers at the Institute of Physics at the University of Washington are creating a contact lens that is comfortable to wear and creates a display that does not obstruct the user's vision. Although a full color video display may be far off, researchers think it may be possible. They have developed and tested a contact lens that is capable of transmitting such data. This contact lens display system is composed of only one pixel and can be powered by a remote radio frequency transmitter.

During the study, the researchers constructed a single pixel and implanted it into a contact lens. The contact lens circuitry contains an embedded antenna to power the pixel. An integrated circuit stores the energy and transfers the energy to light a single blue LED chip.

Researchers must address a few problems with the technology, however. First, the images that the pixel creates will need to focus at a very close range so as not to appear out of focus. However, humans cannot focus efficiently at such a close focal length. As a result, researchers will have to somehow add lenses or make the image that the LED creates appear as a virtual image out in space at about a meter away that would be focused clearly and viewed comfortably.

Second, researchers must figure out a way to transmit power to the device from at least 3-4 feet away. A power pack may have to be worn around the waist or on the wrist, or possibly it could come from a smart phone.

Third, the lens will have to be to be more biocompatible. The prototype is made of a hard plastic that is not very oxygen permeable. Lenses worn on human eyes in today’s world are rigid gas permeable or hydrogels. The electronics must be housed in a way that allows sufficient oxygen to travel through the lens

.

Source:

A R Lingley, M Ali2, Y Liao, R Mirjalili, M Klonner, M Sopanen,S Suihkonen, T Shen, B P Otis, H Lipsanen and B A Parviz. "A single-pixel wireless contact lens display." J. Micromech, Microeng, 2011.

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Farhat Ishtiaq - Novel Writer

Biography

Farhat was born on June 23, 1980 in Karachi, Sindh. She did Civil engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi.

Career

She began her writing career in 2004. In start she wrote stories for Urdu language digests. She has written books, ranging from complete novels to compilations of short stories. Her most popular book is Woh Jo Qarz Rakhty Thay Jaan Per. Now she is also a screenwriter and writing novels and stories for the Pakistan television channels. Her most noted novel for television channel is Humsafar.

Novels & books

• Abhi Kuch Din Lagein Gay
• Bin Roye Aansoo
• Chanda Mama
• Dil Se Nikle Hain Jo Lafz
• Diyaar-e-Dil
• Humsafar
• Hum Khawab Kion Dekhien
• Junoon Tha Ke Justju
• Kab Hath Main Tera Hath Nahin
• Khusboo Badal Chand Hawa
• Kuch Pagal Pagal Se Hum
• Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu
• Mohabbat Ek Sagar
• Pal Bhar Rasta Tay Kernay Main
• Mere Humdam Mere Dost
• Safar Ki Shaam
• Tum Hastee Achee Lagtee Ho
• Ultee Ho Gain Sab Tadbeerien
• Wo Ek Aisa Shajar Ho
• Wo Jo Qarz Rakhtey Thay Jaan Par
• Wo Yaqeen Ka Naya Safar
• Yeah Khawab To Ik Seerab Hai
• Yeah Sharakat Gawara Hai Mujhe

Plays

• Humsafar (2011)
• Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu (2012)

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Top 15 Pakistani Dramas of the week

Top 15 Pakistani Dramas of the week

1. Humsafar

2.Kaafir

3.Jahez

4. Kuchh pyar ka pagalpan bhi tha

5. Quddosi Sahab Ki BEWA


6. Mere qatil mere dildar

7. Jo Chaley Tou Jaan Se Guzar Gaye

8. Sanjha

9. Khushboo Ka Ghar

10. Pal Main Ishq Pal Main Nahi

11. Jannat Se Nikali Huwi aurat


12. Mere qatil mere dildar

13.Behkawa

14.Mora Piya

15.Shadi Mubarak

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This Is The Excellent Car Under $20,000

5. Toyota Corolla

MSRP: $16,130 - $17,990
Invoice: $15,243 - $16,674

Fuel Economy: 27 mpg City, 34 mpg Highway

The Corolla virtually defines durability and consistency in the compact sedan category. The current Corolla is well-equipped with disc brakes on all four wheels, a robust offering of both a 1.8 liter, 132-horsepower engine and a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine. The more robust XRS version will be an easier trade-down from the mid-sized class for some people. Leather upholstery is available too.

The back seat is fairly accommodating - the Corolla's not the subcompact it once was - and a flat floor across the rear enhances the spacious vibe. The usefully large trunk capacity can be expanded by folding down the rear seatbacks, and elsewhere inside are two gloveboxes, large door cubbies, and an also-capacious storage bin in the center armrest. As a car for the everyman, the Corolla hits all the right notes.

4. Mazda3

MSRP: $15,200 - $23,400
Invoice: $14,543 - $21,910

Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 33 mpg Highway

We are big fans of the Mazda3's handling and driving fun. It may feel a bit stiff for some drivers, but we like that.

The 2012 Mazda3 comes with a Skayctiv option, which is a 2.0 liter, four-cylinder gas engine rated at 155 horsepower and 148 lbs. feet of torque. It comes in both manual transmission and automatic. The 3 lacks a USB jack for iPod/iPhone and similar devices, which is a bummer. But you can at least pair a phone via Bluetooth hands-free link.

Pricing is a little complicated here. The least expensive Skyactiv model is Sport sedan with six-speed manual transmission, which costs $19,245 including $795 shipping. The least expensive non-Skyactiv, which has less standard equipment, is the SV sedan at $15,995.

The Skyactiv version of the car is expected to get 38-40 mpg on the highway. Combined fuel economy is 31-33 mpg. We got a little shy of that.

Even with a few complaints on features, we still like the way the Mazda3 drives for daily enjoyment.

3. Ford Focus

MSRP: $16,500 - $22,700
Invoice: $15,635 - $21,112

Fuel Economy: 26 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway

The styling of the new Focus is light years better than the old model, and now a category leader in our opinion. The sporty front fascia, multiple wheel package combination, sleek, sculptured side views. It's all good with us.

Seating material aside, the Focus uses stylish, easy-to-read gauges that are supplemented by a small LCD screen nestled between the tachometer and the speedometer. The screen can be set up to display everything from fuel economy to your trip meter, average speed and a host of other information.

Ford has priced the 2012 Focus Sedan starting at $16,995 in S trim, though opting up to the five-door in SE guise will set you back $18,790. If your pockets are a little deeper and you like the look of the more polished interior, Titanium trim will go for $22,995 for the sedan.

Driving fun is not as high as Mazda3, but we like the extra niceties in the Focus, which is a better overall package than either the Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla on our list.

With available goodies like MyFord Touch and a hatchback body style if you want, the Focus also delivers more than Honda Civic.

2. Chevrolet Cruze

MSRP: $16,800 - $23,190
Invoice: $16,212 - $22,146

Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway

Until the Chevy Cruze debuted in 2010, we wondered if Chevrolet was ever going to take the compact-car category seriously. The last offering, the Cobalt, was dreadful and seemed worthy of Chinese highways, but not American.

The exterior of the Cruze is a little conservative, but we can forgive that when we consider what a good package the whole car is inside and out.

In LTZ trim, the dash is dominated by a tech-laden but well-sorted center stack and accented with broad swaths of leather. We're not talking vinyl with real leather grain here, either. GM has also done a great job of making sure that nearly anyone can fit behind the wheel – and we do mean anyone. The driver's seat can be positioned so far back that someone of normal height will have no chance of reaching the pedals or the steering wheel.

Cruze is offered in a few engine combinations: a 1.8 liter four cylinder engine producing 136 hp, 1.4 liter turbo-charged four cylinder and the Cruze Eco, which has the 1.4 liter Turbo engine in both manual and automatic transmission. But Chevy cut weight out of the normal Cruze, lowered the stance, added low-resistance tires and more carefully managed airflow so the car glides through the air easier. Highway mileage is 42 mpg, tops for a non-hybrid or diesel car. We have actually scored 48 mpg in testing.

The Eco costs $1,450 more than a similar non-Eco Cruze: $19,175 with destination charges for manual transmission, and $20,625, automatic.

1. Hyundai Elantra

MSRP: $15,345 - $20,595
Invoice: $14,918 - $19,727

Fuel Economy: 29 mpg City, 40 mpg Highway

As much as we like the Chevy Cruze, and were tempted to call it a tie between that car and the Hyundai Elantra, we opted to give it to Elantra by a nose. We had support, too, as a jury of North American journalists gave the Elantra its Car of the Year award for 2011.

Exterior styling is excellent, and, along with Ford Focus, has set a new standard in the compact sedan category.

For now, there are only two basic trim packages: GLS and Limited. In GLS guise, the interior of the sedan is treated with attractive cloth seats and a two-tone dash with soft-touch materials up top and well-grained plastic down low. In Limited configuration, the center stack is dominated by a massive seven-inch touch-screen that hosts controls for navigation, audio and iPod integration. Thanks to XM NavTraffic and NavWeather, buyers can check the status of everything from traffic congestion to stock prices, weather advisories and sports scores.

One of the nicer details in the Elantra interior is the HVAC controls. Designers implemented an intuitive system of stacked dials to control fan speed and temperature, and the system takes little more than cursory glance in order to be able to use without taking your eyes off of the road. The dials feel like quality pieces with nice texturing and a solid action.

Regardless of what trim level buyers decide on, they'll benefit from a drivetrain that returns 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. The 2011 Elantra comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. All told, the engine gives the 2011 Elantra more power and better fuel efficiency than competitors like the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.

Elantra is the best total package and best sedan pound for pound, dollar for dollar under $20,000.

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