CZA visits Byculla Zoo after MPs poor living conditions complaint….Aakriti Vasudeva
A team from the Central Zoo Authority(CZA) visited the Byculla Zoo last week following a complaint by state MP Sanjay Dina Patil about the poor condition of animals there. The MPs complaint was based on a citizen inspection report by NGO PAWS.
In a letter addressed to CZA member secretary B S Bonal, Patil expressed concern over the pitiable conditions of animals in the zoo as suggested by the NGOs report.
Posing as visitors, the NGO members had conducted a surprise inspection of the zoo on November 29 and found that many enclosures did not have food or water. They found that many animals looked depressed as they were alone in their enclosures while others were being troubled by crows and pigeons picking on their injuries. Plastic waste was strewn around, even inside the enclosures and visitors, especially children, were teasing the animals by throwing stones at them.
For many years, we have noticed that due to improper care, the animals appear sick and there is even a higher mortality rate, which has led to the dwindling of various rare and endangered animals in the zoo, said Patil. He sought that the BMC, which manages the zoo, ensure that the animals are given a clean environment, ample food and water as well as other facilities to ensure good health. Bonal has initiated an inquiry into the matter.
Zoo sources confirmed that Dr S Panda, director of Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, and Dr A B Srivastav, Professor of College and Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur, visited the zoo last week on CZA directions. They submitted their report, but we have not yet been informed of its findings, said a senior zoo official, claiming that the experts seemed satisfied.
Sunish Subramanium, founder and secretary of PAWS-Mumbai, said they conducted similar inspections in 2006 and 2009 and found that the conditions had deteriorated each time. Till the condition of the animals does not improve and the staff is not trained, the authorities should not go ahead with the zoo revamp.