Jaipur: Ranthambhore tiger T-24, popularly known as 'Ustaad' has not eaten ever since he was shifted from the tiger reserve to Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur on Saturday. Two weeks ago the forest department shifted Ustaad for killing a forest guard, ignoring even the minister's order.
Forest minister Rajkumar Rinwa had promised to give a fair trial to Ustaad and set up a committee comprising tiger experts and some members of the state wildlife board. However, the forest officials did not care to wait for the committee report and shifted the tiger in haste.
It is alleged that the forest officials were hand in glove with the hotel lobby at Sawai Madhopur, where the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is situated, as they didn't want any impact on their hotel business. Tiger experts had claimed that Ustaad was not at fault for the mishap as he was always surrounded by human, who used to intrude his zone
Shifting Ustaad to the Udaipur Zoo, the authorities have flouted the rules of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, alleged Rajasthan's former principal chief conservator of forests, R.N. Mehrotra. The rulebook says, a tiger can be shifted to a zoo only after a detailed inquiry by a committee of well-known experts.
Some wildlife activists have already moved the court. State convener of ‘People for Animals’ B L Jaju said that he would file a case against the forest officials, if anything happens to Ustaad. An activist from Pune has also initiated action against the authorities.
West Bengal zoo gets animal dietician
Alipore Zoo, the country's oldest formally stated zoological park, is for the first time availing the services of a dietitian for its animals. The zoo, which has 1400 animals, reptiles and birds as its inhabitants, was till now dependent on veterinary physicians to check the quality and quantity of food provided to them. “This is a unique initiative. Since January-February this year we have appointed a dietitian," Alipore Zoo director Kanailal Ghosh said.
