(IN) Indian Zoos caught in time warp

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Species under govt 'care' see fall in numbers

Pradeep Thakur, TNN 12 July 2009, 12:58am IST

 

 

NEW DELHI: India's zoos and in-site breeding programmes are in poor

health. There has been a sharp decline in endangered species as well as other

animals who are in the " tender care " of government's ambitious conservation and

breeding programmes.

 

The startling finding, part of a report submitted to Parliament on Friday by

the Comptroller and Auditor General, reveals there has been a 33% decrease

in population of Red Pandas between 2000 and 2008. Red Panda breeding was

started in 1995 and is one of three species identified by the Central Zoo

Authority (CZA) for conservation.

 

Breeding Red Pandas is a difficult job requiring considerable resources and

expertise. This has not deterred the government but with predictable

results. The " endangered " animals are not the only species in dire straits,

as there has been a sharp fall in the number of other animals across various

zoos in the country (details in box).

 

The CZA, an autonomous body under the ministry of environment and

forests to regulate functioning of zoos and rescue centres, is supposed to

oversee conservation of endangered species by providing species -- which have

little prospects of survival in the wild -- a chance of survival through

breeding under ex-situ conditions.

 

Despite an exhaustive mandate and government identifying 44 species of

animals as " critically endangered " , 88 as " endangered " and 181 species as

" vulnerable " , CZA has 63 species in its list and took up three for

conservation -- Red Panda, Lion-Tailed Macaque and Western Tragopan.

 

During the 10th Plan period, Rs 44 crore was allocated while an additional

Rs 9.5 crore was made available in 2007-08 of which CZA spent only Rs 1.97

crore, that is 21% of the funds. Yet, CZA cites inadequate funds and

non-availability of expertise as reasons behind the lack of conservation

efforts.

 

The callous attitude of zoo authorities is also reflected in hundreds of deaths

of endangered animals across different conservation centres in the country. The

CAG's review report accused the CZA of having failed to ensure effective

protection of animal breeding programmes in the zoos.

 

CZA created seven rescue centres at a cost of Rs 9 crore during 1999-2005,

besides spending Rs 19 crore for the upkeep and health care of 352 animals

rescued from circuses and closed zoos till August 2008. Despite high

maintenance cost involved, the mortality rates at these centres of

endangered species like for lions was 27% and tigers 30%.

 

No regular inspection and monitoring was carried out by CZA authorities.

Despite their claims to the contrary, the CAG report says no compliance

report from any of the 180 zoos across the country was available with the

CZA.

 

The National Zoological Park, New Delhi, told the auditors that no such

compliance reports were sent to CZA. Scrutiny of records also revealed that

no zoo or other centre was ever visited by any design/technical/evaluating

committee of CZA. Though CZA told the auditors that rescue centres were

being monitored regularly, it provided no supporting evidence in this

regard.

 

Only 22 zoos (12%) of the total 180 submitted copies of their master plan to

CZA while the authority also did not take any initiative to get the

documents from 158 other zoos. When the auditors pointed this out, CZA

promised to get all the master plans ready by March 2009.

 

Endangered animals dying in breeding programmes

 

Animals------------2002-03---2003-04--2006-07--2007-08

 

Brown Bear-------------9--------11--------2-------1

 

Bear Sun-Malayan-------2---------2--------1-------0

 

Wild Buffalo-----------0---------3--------1-------1

 

Deer Mouse------------15--------20--------9-------8

 

Keelback Checkered----27-------104------105------58

 

Keelback Green---------0--------15-------14-------3

 

Kite------------------13--------73-------14------11

 

Black Winged Kite------6--------15--------7-------6

 

Nilgiri Langur--------30--------29-------26------21

 

Black Leopard----------3---------5--------2-------2

 

Pangolin---------------7---------8--------5-------5

 

Pheasant Peacock-------4--------10--------3-------3

 

Nicobar Pigeon--------42--------43-------28------22

 

Ratel-----------------14--------15--------8------10

 

Snake Keelback Checkered-142---74--------58------57

 

Indian Wolf-----------52-------46--------30------32

 

 

(The reasons given by CZA for the death of some of the endangered species

were old age, unknown, shock, heatstroke, infighting etc. In many cases, the

postmortem reports, though conducted in 2004-05 were still awaited in 2008).