Hyderabad: Mukesh Kumar, who jumped into the lion enclosure at the Hyderabad zoo, said that he had consumed alcohol on the zoo premises. This exposes another security chink.
At the zoo’s entry point the bags of all visitors are checked and all plastic material other than water bottles are removed. However, it is a mystery how Mukesh and three of his friends brought in alcohol.
According to a zoo official Mukesh was not alone and had come with four friends. Later, Mukesh’s three friends were caught in an intoxicated condition from the parking area of the zoo. The police booked two cases against Mukesh, one under Section 448 for trespassing and one under Section 38 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
So far no inquiry has been ordered by the Telangana forest department as the zoo curator, Shivani Dogra, had gone to Assam on Monday for taking part in a training course. An official from the forest department’s wildlife section said that once Ms Dogra is back she and zoo director Dr G. Chandrasekhar Reddy will be called for a meeting where security aspects will be reviewed.
However, the forest official rejected any plans to increase the height of the grill in front of the lion enclosure. He said, “A zoo must be visitor-friendly. Such measures will block the view of visitors, particularly kids. Already many parents lift their children or and make them stand on the grill for a good view.” The zoo spread over nearly 380 acres is facing a shortage of guards. It has just 70 guards who operate in shifts.
