In India, zoos are treated as entertainment, a pleasure place for the holidays. Families with their children come to the parks and zoos to see the animals and be entertained by them. Education is ZERO. The zoos should be education centers more then entertainment. In India, the animals and wildlife are most neglected by the government. Zoos have become breeding and death centers for animals. Poor care, insufficient manpower, lack of funds, and inadequate training are the major problems the Indian zoos are facing. Due to this, our four-legged friends are suffering throughout their lives.
We visited one such zoo recently. When my friends and I went to Solapur for holidays, we decided to visit the zoo in the Jam Mill Area. Approximately 80 animals and birds are there presently. There was no assistance from the side of zoo authorities and they were actually absent throughout day. We took a few photographs.
Dr. Landge who is in charge of the zoo, employed by Solapur Municipal Corporation, does not usually come to work, we were told by a zoo cleaner. The Temperature was 40 C, which was too hot for the animals, especially the monkeys, as their cages are open at the top. All the animals' enclosures were very unsafe for people as well as the animals. Many cages are broken which may harm animals. Venomous and non-venomous snakes are kept together. A peacocks and the parakeets were kept in a tiny cage together wherein the peacock was eating all the food and the parakeets were hungry but scared to come down to the floor.
Anybody can feed them anything easily. According to a sign, feeding is prohibited, but many people were throwing food to monkeys.
Last month 26 deer died due to unknown reasons. I wrote the Animal Welfare Board for authorization to check their papers, but there was no reply from the boards, so I was unable to inspect the registration, breeding, and vaccinations papers.
Our Advice:
- The zoo staff is living very near the cages; they should be away from the cages, because the animals need privacy.
- There should be proper water facilities for the animals. They must have free access to water at their will during the day or night.
- 26 deer died recently. Proper medical check-ups should be done on regular basis and medicine given on time.
- All rusty, small, and dirty cages should be replaced with new, spacey ones.
- Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes should be kept in different tanks.
- A 24-hr. veterinary facility must be there.
- The zoo is a huge open area for lions and tigers, which is opposite to the peacocks open cages. If these peacock are not removed, then they will die from fear of the lions.
- Indian Parakeets and peafowl are not to be caged together.
- The zoo should have a committee of Veterinarians, representatives from non-governmental organizations, Animal Welfare Officers and local humanitarians who will make surprise visits to zoo at any time, on any day.
- The zoo must keep rescued wild animals from circuses.
- All the animals should be sterilized and not bred in the zoo habitat.
Not only in India, but anywhere in world, zoos and circuses mean lifetime confinement for animals. Do not encourage zoos and circuses. Stop visiting them for entertainment. Do, however, make group visits to zoos and circuses to check on the animals' conditions, their registration papers, and health/vaccination documentation.
Together we can make difference in the lives of animals!
Nilesh Bhanage
Hony. Gen. Secretary - PAWS India
Hony. Animal Welfare Officer - Animal Welfare Board of India
