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'What right do we have to handle zoo animals this way?'
The Byculla zoo is a prominent attraction for city tourists and aficionados looking for some action in the concrete jungle. But the premier reserve pasture for animals is not following Central Zoo Authority norms, reports......Nitin Kumar Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle Udyan is a 148-year-old zoo. Popularly it is also known as Rani Bagh. It is located at Byculla in the heart of Mumbai on a 53 acre plot of land.
It houses many rare species of animals, birds and trees. The zoo has been mired in controversy because of many unprecedented deaths of animals happened in the past frequently, as recently the death of Shakti, a hippopotamus, on April 24, 2009. Frequent deaths disclosed many loopholes in management system of this zoo.
In October 2007, officials from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) visited the Byculla zoo. After preparing a report, Central Zoo Authority decided to redevelop the zoo. For this makeover, Rs433.57 crore contracts have been made among the civic corporation, HKS Designer and Consultant International (a Thai-based Malaysian company) and the Portico Group of the USA.
Evenwhile a huge sum of money is going to be invested for the overhaul of the zoo, some groups are not happy with the proposal.
Activists feel this will require cutting so many trees which covers 63 % of the zoo's area.
Common visitors feel that much needs to be done regarding the upkeep of the zoo. Tourists feel that there must be more amenities for them. Amenities to visitors
According to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a zoo must provide basic amenities to visitors like toilets, drinking water points, shelters, first-aid facilities and ramp facilities for the handicapped and ample parking place for vehicles among others. But in the Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle Udyan visitors are not happy with all facilities.
The path, leading to various animal enclosures, is not smooth. It is broken at many places, which leads to inconvenience for visitors. Physically-handicapped visitors find it demanding to navigate through the path. Toilets are not cleaned frequently. Visitors have to submit all bags containing eatables at the gate without a proper caretaker. There is no protective shelter for visitors at the ticket counter. The purpose of the zoo is to educate visitors about the animals and trees through display boards but that facility is lacking.
Welfare of animals
The CZA has clearly mentioned some norms for the safety and security of animals in enclosures. CZA prescribes that the animals shouldn't be fed by the visitors.
The Zoo Authority also stipulates that the visitors should not disturb the peace and annoy animals. Researchers feel that every animal has its own daily routine.
Moreover some animals are nocturnal and sleep during the day.
If people yell or throw articles at animals, they get disturbed. If the routine of wild animals is disturbed for a long time, then it can lead to fatal consequences for them.
Most of these norms are violated at the Byculla zoo, which puts the lives of animals in peril. Visitors pelt stones to gauge the reaction of animals for their pleasure. No caretakers warn errant visitors against the practice.
State of enclosures
The CZA mandates that the every animal in a zoo shall be provided housing, upkeep and healthcare that can ensure a quality of life and longevity to enable the zoo population to sustain itself through reproduction.
The authority also prescribes appropriate infrastructure like shelters, pools drinking water points and other facilities which can provide the animals a chance to display the wide range of their natural behaviour as well as protect them from extremes of climate. These norms are very necessary for the existence all living creatures in the zoo according to the CZA.
Inspite of these parameters, animals are not getting adequate sanitation, natural environment and natural lifestyle in the Byculla zoo. The water in pools is not cleaned frequently. This can be dangerous because animals can catch infection from the filthy water.
* Nita Deb, member of Save Rani Baugh Botanical Garden Action Committee
"I'm opposing the redevelopment of the zoo because it will convert public open green spaces into a concretised amusement park. Basically it was a botanical garden, which later developed into a zoo. So by cutting trees, we can lose rare flora which is almost 300 to 400 years old. The new facility may keep a steep fee and will become unaffordable to the common man."
* Anuradha Sawhney, chief functionary, PETA India
"I don't agree with the plans of the administration to turn the zoo into a world-class facility. Why should we cage animals in Mumbai? We must not exploit them for commercial gains. Since we have the Borivali National Park in the city, why can't we think of developing it? Wild animals will flourish if kept in their natural habitat."
* Debi Goenka, environmentalist
"Frequent deaths of animals make it evident that the preserve has been ignored by the authorities. It seems no one is interested in the welfare ofanimals. Now, there is a Rs433 crore redevelopment plan for the zoo. I hope the development work will be according to the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. There must be no cutting of trees and the new zoo must be the authentic habitat for the wild animals."
* Kumar Pandey, chairman (BMC Markets and Gardens Committee)
"I will initiate an independent inquiry to ascertain the series of deaths of wild animals in the zoo. If needed, I will also visit the zoo and assess the situation. We will study the forensic reports and evidence regarding the deaths of the zoo animals."
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