(IN): Hydari Park rare animals to be shifted to Guwahati

[Guest guest]

*Some breather for the animals of one of the most horrible prisons of India

where the inmates were subjected to abuses of the worst kind.*

 

*From being burnt by intoxicated visitors using cigarette butts to long

hours of starvation from food and water. From being made to scavenge for

food on toxic piles of garbage (that includes empty cement bags), to being

exposed seasons after seasons under the bright warm sun without a shade

above their head (this includes many nocturnal animals as well).*

 

*Few lucky ones however survived this ordeal and may now see some hope in

the promises that have resulted out of this expose.

*

 

*Azam*

 

*______________

*

 

*

*

 

*Link: http://www.theshillongtimes.com/*

 

 

*Hydari Park rare animals to be shifted to Guwahati*

 

*By Our Reporter*

 

*SHILLONG: * A few endangered animals in the popular Lady Hydari Park in the

city will soon be shifted to Assam State Zoo, Guwahati following a Supreme

Court order based on complaint by wildlife activists including People for

Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) regarding ill treatment of animals in the

Park.

 

Animal lovers and wildlife activists had been complaining that condition of

the century-old Lady Hydari Park where the animals were kept was not

conducive or in line with prescribed standards of Central Zoo Authority

(CZA).

 

Confirming this, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) VK Nautiyal

said the endangered animals that would be shifted to Assam State Zoo under

the apex court direction were a pair of hollock gibbons (apes) and a serow

(goat antelope).

 

" We will shift these rare animals to Assam State Zoo very soon, " Mr Nautiyal

said adding that there was shortage of staff and necessary equipment at the

Lady Hydari Park which housed 57 birds and 24 animals of 35 species.

 

Meanwhile, sources informed that there were a number of cases of animal

deaths in the Park and that during 2007-2008, seven deaths of animals and

birds were reported. The present zoo also has no full-time veterinary doctor

and services of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary

department is taken during emergency.

 

While stating that all the birds and animals presently housed in the Park

would be shifted to the State Zoo when it was completed, Mr Nautiyal said 75

acres of land had been acquired at Umtrew in Ri-Bhoi district for the

purpose and a master plan was being prepared at the cost of Rs 8.36 crore.

 

It may be mentioned that PETA activists had earlier pointed out that the

present zoo did not have a full-time qualified curator with masters degree

in Wildlife Science or Zoology besides lacking full-fledged veterinary

facility and full-time veterinarian to take care of sick animals and birds.

 

PETA had also complained that the enclosures in the zoo were not designed to

meet the full biological needs of the animals besides having no post-mortem

facility. It had also pointed out that no screens were provided between the

adjacent enclosures to safeguard animals against being excited or stressed

due to the visibility of animals in nearby enclosures.

 

 

___

 

*The Press release:*

 

*EXPOSED: Violations at Lady Hydari Park and Animal Land to the PETA-India

Zoo report- 2006

*

 

*

*

 

*Please find copies of an updated investigation report dated: 11th May` 2008

on the Lady Hydari Park and Animal Land which was a follow up to check

whether the gross violations of CZA rules that were exposed in March` 2006

have been corrected.*

 

*It was shocking to see that two years hence the conditions were still

pathetic and getting only worse.*

 

*We hope the CZA takes note of the same and action is taken against the

offenders.*

 

*Azam Siddiqui*

 

Master Trainer in Animal Welfare (2001)

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)

 

Ph: +91 94350 48481

 

Contact details of Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary, PETA- India

 

Ph: +91 98201 22561*

*

 

anuradhas

 

*P.S: Please find attached the copies of the letters in order.*

 

*Also follow the web links to view the photographs which can be used by the

media/ press.*

 

___________

 

*COPY OF THE LETTER SENT BY MS. ANURADHA SAWHNEY, PETA-India TO MEMBER

SECRETARY, CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY OF INDIA:*

 

 

May 14, 2008

 

Member Secretary

 

Central Zoo Authority

 

New Delhi

 

* *

 

***Violation of Recognition of Zoo Rules at Lady Hydari Zoo in

Shillong.*

 

 

 

*Reference*:

 

Our letter to you dated March 27, 2006 along with a report on the Lady

Hydari Zoo.

 

Information received under Right to Information Act from Lady Hydari Park.

 

A report from Mr. Azam Siddiqui (Master Trainer in Animal Welfare) dated May

11, 2008 addressed to you.

 

(Copies attached for quick reference)

 

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

 

 

This is in furtherance to the above referred letter from Mr. Azam Siddiqui

elucidating the bad conditions prevailing at Lady Hydari Zoo in Shillong. We

in the past have written to you about this zoo and drawn your attention to

the violation of the Recognition of Zoo Rules, and have sought the closure

of the zoo in the best interest of animals.

 

 

 

Further to this, we had also applied under Right to Information Act, 2005 to

the authorities of this zoo and sought information about the compliance of

the Recognition of Zoo Rules; a perusal of the response received clearly

shows that many provisions for recognition are not complied with by the zoo.

 

 

 

 

Following are few points that we would like to highlight, according to the

response received from the zoo:

 

 

 

· The zoo does not have an official with master degree in Wildlife

Science / Zoology as a full time curator.

 

· There is neither a full-fledged veterinary facility nor a fulltime

veterinarian in the zoo which means there is no facility to take care of

sick animals.

 

· The enclosures are not designed so as to meet the full biological

requirements of the animals.

 

· No screens are provided between the adjacent enclosures to

safeguard animals against being excited or stressed because of the

visibility of animals in other enclosures.

 

· There are no moats in any of the enclosures.

 

· The last construction that took place was during 1992.

 

· There are no isolation and quarantine wards in the zoo for newly

arriving animals and sick animals.

 

· The zoo does not have a post mortem room.

 

· Some of the animals do not have mates.

 

· The long term Master Plan for the development of the zoo has not

been submitted to CZA.

 

· Above all the zoo has animals more than the holding capacity.

 

 

 

It's surprising that the zoo continues to function even after they

themselves agree that the conditions stipulated in Recognition of Zoo Rules

are not complied with. We request you to immediately close the zoo and also

issue directions to the state government to relocate the animals housed at

the present zoo.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Anuradha Sawhney

 

Chief Functionary

 

 

 

Encl. As above

 

 

CC PCCF, Meghalaya

_________________

 

*Investigation report dated 11th May` 2007, and the letter sent to CZA:*

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

AZAM SIDDIQUI <azam24x7

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 1:35 PM

(IN): An update on Lady Hydari Park and Animal Land to the

PETA-India Zoo report- 2006

Central Zoo Authority <cza

Cc: Anuradha Sawhney <anuradhas

 

 

Shillong, Sunday, May 11, 2008

Time: 9.00am

 

With reference to the PETA-India Zoo report of February 2006 (please find

the link below) :

http://www.petaindia.com/campaigns/entertainment-zoos-meghalaya-ladyHydari.asp

 

Here are some observations that I noticed on my visit on sunday, May 11,

2008 at 9.00am.

 

 

Photo link of the Zoo pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/azam24x7/LadyHydariParkAndAnimalLand2008

 

*OBSERVATIONS on PETA-India`s 2006 report:*

 

 

- 2006: No clean water can be seen in the enclosures.

 

2008: NO WATER or Food at the time of inspection in the following

enclosures:

Himalayan yellow throated marten, Jackal.

The rest of the enclosures had very less water and most of the utensils were

dirty.

 

 

- 2006: Many enclosures have broken cement floors which are covered with

excrement and are foul-smelling.

 

2008: Its the same as of now.

 

- 2006: No one stops visitors from carrying and openly consuming alcohol

inside the zoo.

 

2008: My visit was early in the morning hours so I could not spot anyone

consuming liquor. Although I must say that the warning signs have been put

up in many places to caution people from not consuming liquor.

 

- 2006: Visitors can be seen pouring beer on the animals and inside their

cages. The zoo is littered with beer bottles.

 

2008: Feeding the animals was not seen and again because it was morning

hours there were less visitors.

 

- 2006: On the day of our inspection, almost every visitor teased the

animals. Many agitated the animals by banging on the walls of their

enclosures.

 

2008: Teasing and distracting animals was seen as the visitors were tried

their best to communicate using their wretched skills with the inmates in

the most weird language that I failed to understand.

 

- 2006: Visitors can be seen trying to touch the animals with lit

cigarettes.

 

2008: Not seen.

 

- 2006: One fox appeared to be petrified because of harassment.

 

2008: The fox may have been sifted as I could not see any.

 

- 2006: One palm civet had an untended injury to his tail which was

caused by a visitor. The enclosure of a second civet had old bananas lying

on the floor and a cement trough of drinking water which had algae growing

in it.

 

2008: The civet was inside the enclosure and so could not examine.

 

- 2006: Sambars, barking deer and a crane share an enclosure which

contains dirty pond water.

 

2008: The crane was not seen. The sambars, barking deer are in the most

pathetic conditions. They say it is a deer park but it is nothing less than

a torture chamber.

I could see empty cement bag (plastic made) inside the enclosure where the

deer were grazing. This perhaps is the negligence of the staff who are

renovating some portions inside.

There was a huge pile of garbage inside with plastic and other materials

which the deer were exploring was while grazing. The green cover inside the

deer enclosure is NIL. There is no shade proving trees and this can be very

painful as the sun shines really bright and warm during summer here. A few

pine trees are there but they are not serving the purpose.

The fences have given way exposing a threat of injury to the animals with

sharp wires and rods.

Horrible hygiene conditions inside. Water facility poor. Food was also less

and the animals seemed to be starving as they were searching for food among

the dry twigs.

 

 

- 2006: Visitors bang on the filthy, cramped cages of nocturnal wood owls

and prompt them to fly during the daytime.

 

2008: No banging seen, but there was no official/ guard to correct the

visitors when they were seen teasing them.

 

- 2006: Four fish owls share a small, filthy, foul-smelling enclosure.

 

2008: Same condition prevails.

 

- 2006: One monkey is housed individually in a rusted cage.

 

2008: The rhesus macaque seemed to be in a dry barren enclosure. One large

stump tailed macaque seemed to have skin infection (could be old age, not

too sure).

 

- 2006: Two Himalayan black bears exhibited stress-induced stereotypical

behaviours. No water could be found in their enclosure.

 

2008: The enclosure is same as it was. No shade above. Sress and

stereotypical behaviour was seen in one of the bears. the other bear was

sleeping though. Water was there but no food.

The signboard was missing.

 

*Some more observations as on 11th May` 2008:*

 

1. The water in the tank of Pelicans and geese was very dirty and emitting

foul smell.

2. A lot of worn out signboards which include the important ones cautioning

people from teasing/ feeding animals was seen.

3. The pied horn bill enclosure was too tiny for the bird. Also the animal

seemed restless and seemed to rush to every visitor probably because it was

starving. Animals approaching visitors is a sign of starvation in my

experience.

4. A Jackal exhibited stress-induced stereotypical behaviour.

5. Hoolock Gibbon exhibited stress-induced stereotypical behaviour and

seemed very restless.

6. A single Himalayan black bear exhibited stress-induced stereotypical

behaviour

 

*Recommendations:*

 

This mini zoo or animal land as they call needs to be shut down immediately

to avoid any further pain and torture. I fail to understand why despite the

gross violations as exposed by PETA-India which were brought into the notice

of the highest authority that controls the standards of Zoos- CZA in 2006,

two years now these voiceless animals are still subjected to this utter

negligence.

 

I have video footage of the above mentioned observations that also support

what I say along with the attached photo link, incase there is any need of

further evidence to support.

 

Hope to hear from you soon,

 

Yours truly,

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

Master Trainer in Animal Welfare (2001)

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

 

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui

 

 

 

Copy to:

 

1. Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary, PETA- India.

 

 

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