By Hrithik Kaul
3rd Year Law Student at Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur
& Human of two Dogs, Whinnie & Zippy.
"Zoo are supposed to be the center for promoting conservation, safeguarding and also educating about wildlife and endangered species in a well-protected housed enclosure for breeding and to develop appreciation in public eyes for nature. With the greater recognition of interest, rights and corresponding duties towards animals in today’s India, one might have to question the relevance of Zoo...."
The African Elephant couple that came from Zimbabwe, Shankar and Bombai was presented as a gift from the Zimbabwe delegation to the Indian regime in 1988. But unfortunately, Shankar lost his partner Bombai and has been alone for 16 years the lone African elephant is a victim of cruelty and viciousness at the hands of caretakers at the zoo, and his present condition is nothing less than illegal imprisonment.
Zoo as a Conservation Fiction
A zoo is supposed to be the centre for promoting conservation, safeguarding and also educating about wildlife and endangered species in a well-protected housed enclosure for breeding and developing appreciation in the public eyes for nature. With the greater recognition of interest, rights and corresponding duties towards animals in today’s India, one might have to question the relevance of Zoo in the whole context of greater protection and sanction under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and provision under Indian Penal Code.
Most Zoos, not only in India but around the world hardly in today’s time focus on and work with the sole objective of conservation but in reality, have turned themselves into profit-making businesses with these residents as a source for providing entertainment for paying visitors. These Endangered animals spend their lifetimes locked behind bars and glass walls and only a handful of animals are ever released back into the wild from zoos and often become victims of inhuman acts of cruelty and misbehaviour. How many other species in the ‘breeding programme’ are being killed because there are now too many? The awful story of Marius the giraffe, who was killed because of ‘overpopulation’ and because he “didn’t have the right genetics”, is just one other example.
Focus on Realistic Conservation
Some social primates are housed individually in cages, and chained legs, with no shelter to protect them from weather extremes or making a show of their lives. Instances of eating debris, rotten food and items that were thrown into their cages and Water moats are dry, fencing is rusted and insecure and cages are barren and bleak. These conditions highlight the value of Freedom and the aspiration to live, breathe and co-exist among their own clan in the life of every individual entity on this planet. Therefore, we need to reconsider and retrospect and take action in the direction to conserve and promote natural ecosystems, and the biosphere for the primates rather than boost and encourage the million-dollar zoo industry.
Animal and Humans have co-existed peacefully with each other for centuries, with the important reason being the respect, care and love shown by humans in this relationship towards the eco-system and making efforts to conserve and protect our surroundings.
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