Zoo authorities unprepared to handle Delhi-like incidents
A youngster pelts stones at a lion which is in its enclosure inside the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. - (Photo: Deccan Chronicle)
Visakhapatnam: The recent incident which occurred in Delhi Zoo wherein a youth was mauled to death by a tiger has left many people wondering about preparedness of zoos in such situations. This correspondent visited the Vizag zoo to get a reality check and found out that the city’s zoo lacks sufficient preparedness to handle such an incident. One of the main reasons can be attributed to the lack of optimum number of staff at the zoo along with lax attitude of the guards who are deployed at the enclosure. The zoo does not, like well-known global zoos, conduct any mock drills and neither has specially trained staff to take instant action in such situations.
The zoo is 30-40 per cent understaffed and this proves a big handicap in the zoo’s preparedness in taking instant action. It is one of the country’s largest zoos with more than 800 animals in more than 60 enclosures spread over 625 acres, but just has 40 permanent and about 50 temporary employees and just one veterinarian. The state government does not seem to bother to recruit enough staff at the zoo.
Zoo curator G. Ramalin-gam says, “We are planning to get more emergency rescue gear like ladders and mesh protectors and install them near the enclosures of carnivorous animals. The zoo has a disaster management plan and we will be gearing up to ensure that neither the animals nor the visitors get hurt in any incident.”Lack of awareness among zoo visitors and recklessness on their part is a major reason behind such incidents.
Mr Ramalingam says, “Many times people try to lean over an enclosure’s parapet wall to click photographs of animals. Sometimes they even hold their kids over the walls for them to have a better look.” Even though the Delhi incident has left everyone shocked, youngsters were seen throwing stones at a lioness in the zoo even as three guards stood nearby, busy chattering. When this issue was brought to the notice of the curator he said that the zoo will be taking measures towa-rds motivating them and being more responsible.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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