Guest guest Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 *Kind Attention: Secretary/ Chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India **Sub: Request for an inquiry into the Giraffe death in Kolkata and validity of the CZA statement. * Dear Sir, As you may be aware that a Giraffe that was being transported in India from one zoo to another in this nuclear age without proper care met with a horrific accident. It was then left unattended for several hours as the officials of the two zoos argued and decided over the fate of the animals as to where should it be taken for treatment (the nearest aid center being just two hours return drive from where the animal was being brought- The Kolkata Zoo). Finally the animal died on arrival, courtesy the blame game roadshow. Kindly refer to a news item that has been reported to have appeared in the Hindustan Times, Kolkata edition dated: (26th May,2008) which has this point of view of the Central Zoo Authority: *>But Sundar's death would not go into the records of the CZA . The CZA is not taking any interest in this accident and there is no question of a probe> with a shocking quote from Mr. B.R. Sharma, Member Secretary CZA " We are concerned with Indian endangered animals only. Giraffe is basically an African animal. It is a matter of the two zoo authorities. " <* Since the day the Central Zoo Authority was formed, they have been witness to the acquiring of wild and exotic foreign animals from zoos/ parks worldwide and now the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) which governs the Zoo policies/ regulations of India gives this nasty statement that it has no control over FOREIGN ANIMALS. This is not only shameful for the CZA and India but it also questions the integrity of those nations how they trusted their animals to be in safe custody once they were sent to India. The statement of CZA is certainly going to invite a lot of criticism but then what they say is a fact. I searched their website to find rules/ guidelines and I failed to find any which were there for the protection of these vulnerable aniamls which were held captive to mint money. So what kind of a Zoo policy is this that allows Zoos to flourish and generate huge revenues but not take responsibility of its inmates? Are Indian Zoos a CIRCUS for non-Indian animals in disguise? This is so outrageous ! I would request you to kindly bring this this issue to the notice of the Kenyan authorities and other countries as well to stop their authorities from sending/ exchanging any animal of foreign origin whether as a gift or under animal exchange policies as in the absence of an authority to check and control the welfare of such animals in India Zoos it is dangerous for not only the animal, but it also endangers the lives of millions of visitors to the Zoos. I am sure the 100+ million population of India is not aware that foreign animals are not controlled by any authority. That in case an African Lion or some other carnivore of foreign origin gets loose while it is in transit in India and God forbid mauls/ kills few human beings in the process, there is NO authority which can conduct a probe. As India does not have any agency/ authority taking care of the animals of other countries therefore it should be immediately BLACK listed in the international community and any further proposed deals in animal exchanges should be scrapped with immediate effect. This needs to be done immediately to avoid any further casualties and criticisms. At the cost of a ruthless authority we cannot bear to see any more animals of non- Indian origin to die such painful deaths. Another similar incident happened less than a year back in August- 2007 when a giraffe was injured seriously in the neck while in transit. See link below: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1321025071.html Now the picture is pretty clear that because there is no punishment, no inquiry, no penalties, no suspension of officials, no accountability therefore the procedure of Non-India animals being transported within India is nothing better than that of millions of livestock, cattle or poultry. I hope the sacrifice of the two Giraffes in separate incidents in India giraffe do not go in vain. Kindly consider this as important because if such irresponsible statements are seen to increase in the press and media, the entire goodwill of animal welfare and contributions by our seniors would all go to waste. As a qualified Master Trainer who has been taking interest in the welfare of animals in the country, I would appreciate a response from your end as to what the AWBI has to say in this regard and its stand. Thanking you, regards, Azam Siddiqui Master Trainer in Animal Welfare (2001) Animal Welfare Board of India http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui Copy to: 1. Smt. Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson, People for Animals 2. Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary, PETA- India 3. Secretary, MOEF 4. Mr. Debasis Chakravarti, Trustee, Compassionate Crusaders Trust, Kolkata 5. Ms. Suparna Bakshi Ganguly, Vice President, CUPA- Bangalore 6. Dr. Chinny Krishna, Chairperson, Blue Cross Society of India 7. Mr. G. Rangaswamy, President, Zoo Outreach Organisation ---------- Forwarded message ---------- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms *Giraffe dies on way to new home *25 May 2008, 0304 hrs IST,TNN KOLKATA: A giraffe being transported from Alipore zoo to the Nandankanan sanctuary in Bhuban-eswar died on Friday when overhead electric wires hit his neck. The bleeding animal suffered over 21 hours of agony before dying around 9.30 pm at Alipore zoo, which had been his home for 11 years. It seems the officials in charge of transporting Sundar forgot that giraffes are the tallest land animals. They simply loaded him on a flat-bed<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_\ to_new_home/articleshow/3069674.cms#>trailer, ignoring the fact that its 16-foot height would put it perilously close to electric and telephone wires. Sundar — whose great grandparents were brought to Alipore zoo from Cologne in Germany in 1986 — was being sent to Nandankanan as part of an exchange deal. The giraffe was worth 24 animals, including a pair of hippopotamuses. On Thursday, four officials from Nandankanan, led by veterinary<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_wa\ y_to_new_home/articleshow/3069674.cms#>surgeon Samanta Roy, packed Sundar in a crate, placed it on a trailer with the help of a crane and set off at 11.30 pm. A little later, near Andul Road in Howrah, an electric wire hit the animal's neck. Sundar collapsed. The trailer sped on till Bagnan, with the veterinary surgeon trying to revive the giraffe with medicines. Blood oozed from Sundar's mouth. It was much later that frantic calls were made for help — not to Alipore zoo, which was nearer, but to Nandankanan director A K Patnaik. Patnaik called Alipore Zoological Garden<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to\ _new_home/articleshow/3069674.cms#>director Subir Chaudhuri. " I promised him all possible assistance though we had formally handed over the giraffe to them. Sundar was still alive. He was not electrocuted, " Chaudhuri said. There were apparently no injury marks on Sundar but despite the best efforts of two veterinary surgeons, the giraffe died late Friday night. " We have successfully handed over giraffes to Delhi, Chennai and Lucknow zoos over the last 10 years. There were no accident. All of us are in a state of shock, " Chaudhuri said. Sundar's parents Sagar and Uttara are among the six giraffes left in Alipore zoo. The giraffe's death has put a question mark on the animal exchange deal. Nandankanan has sent 22 of the 24 animals<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_t\ o_new_home/articleshow/3069674.cms#>but the hippopotamuses remain. *Giraffe dies after crash* Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080525/jsp/frontpage/story_9318092.jsp A STAFF REPORTER Calcutta, May 24: A giraffe whose neck struck a roadside pole on the way from Alipore zoo to Orissa's Nandankanan died after waiting for proper treatment for more than 12 hours as officials couldn't decide whether to carry on or return. The accident took place early on Friday near Bagnan in Howrah, and Sundar, the strapping 11-year-old male, might have survived had its escorts decided fast to go back to Calcutta, a couple of hours' drive from the spot. They did return to Alipore, but about 4 in the afternoon after the directors of the two zoos had a talk over the phone. Some five-and-a-half hours later, about 9.30, Sundar was dead. " When it left, it was hale and hearty. We have sent the body for a post-mortem, " Alipore zoo director Subir Chowdhury said. The four-member team, which had arrived from Nandankanan to take the Calcutta-born giraffe as part of an exchange programme, had left around 11.30 on Thursday night. Near Bagnan, Sundar — in a wooden crate atop a trailer, its long neck sticking out — suddenly let out a shrill cry. Its neck had hit a pole. " The animal collapsed in the crate and was in pain, " Chowdhury said. A Calcutta zoo official said a vet, who was part of the team, attended to the injury. " But things didn't seem to work. " Around noon on Friday, the official said, Alipore zoo authorities got a call from Nandankanan. " Officials from Nandankanan called us asking whether the giraffe could be treated at our hospital since it was technically their property. We told them it could be treated at our hospital and it was decided they would return to Calcutta. " But by then, it was too late. Sundar's death — giraffes usually live around 25 years in the wild and longer in captivity — has also raised questions about the mode of transport used. " Ideally, a giraffe should be transported with a movable ceiling, lots of ventilation, and enough space to allow it to turn, lie down or stand, " said Sanat Das, a former conservator of forests. Zoo officials said the crate Sundar was being transported in was not comfortable for an eight-to-10-hour journey. _____. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 Dear Azam, Thank you so much for your bold letter. You are right in saying that the CZA is wrong to discriminate between indigenous and foreign animals. The fact that an animal is foreign does not imply it not having a right to life and proper care in captivity. I am attaching the Hindustan Times report for your perusal. I also request all AAPN members to protest this treatment meted out to a sentient creature. Please address your letters to the Central Zoo Authority of India at cza Thanks again to you for leading the protest and hoping that the offenders would be brought to book. Regards, *Hindustan Times,Kolkata edition, Kolkata Live, 26 May, 2008 Triple shock killed giraffe on way to Orissa HT Correspondent Kolkata, May 25 Imagine suffering an electric shock of just 220 volts from the switchboard in your home. Now, imagine receiving a shock of 132 kilovolts at least three times from a high voltage overhead wire. This is exactly what happened to Sundar. The male giraffe, who died on his way to Nandankanan, received electrical shock of 132 kilovolts at least three timesbefore he collapsed, injuring his knees. However, Sundar survived in agony for at least 21 hours before death came as a relief. Instead of contacting zoo officials right away, the team accompanying Sundar had tried to attend to the giraffe. By the time it was decided to take the animal back to Alipore Zoo, 24 hours had lapsed. The second lapse was that instead of contacting zoo officials away, the team tried to attend to the animal all by themselves. The driver drove on in the hope that the giraffe would stand up on its own. Samanta Ray, the veterinary surgeon of Nandankanan Zoo who was leading the four-member team for transporting Sundar from Alipore, said: " Our men were equipped with bamboo poles to lift overhead wires on the Andul Road. Between Kolkata and the spot where the accident took place, we had cleared nearly 15 such overhead wires. It was nighttime and we could hardly see. Even though we managed to remove some obstacles, at one point there were several overhead wires at short intervals. It was here that tragedy struck. One of the men lifted a wire and suddenly there was a aspark. The giraffe, which had till then been calm, reacted sharply. In the confusion, the men left the wires and the giraffe received the first shock. Before we could stop the vehicle, it moved further and the giraffe was struck twice. " " The feeding pan made of iron, which was fitted to the cage, also got electrified. The giraffe could not withstand the shock and stumbled on his knees, sustaining a deep injury on his upper lips and blood started to ooze out from his mouth, " Roy said. But Sundar's death would not go into the records of the Central Zoo Authority(CZA). The authority is not taking any interest in this accident and there is no question of a probe. Member secretary of the CZA, B R Sharma, said : " We are concerned with Indian endangered animals only. Giraffe is basically an African animal. It is a matter of the two zoo authorities. " Meanwhile, Nandankanan and Alipore Zoo officials are yet to communicate among themselves to decide over the fate of the exchange programme. Alipore Zoo has already received 22 animals but is yet to receive two hippos from Orissa. The director of Nandankanan Zoo, A K Pattanaik, said he would enquire from zoo authorities in Kolkata about the manner of the death of the animal. He said that some monkeys and birds had already reached Alipore and the giraffe was supposed to reach Nandankanan on Saturday or Sunday. " There are a lot of fomalities before we go forward with the exchange programme. It is a great loss as we were looking forward to our first giraffe. " of Alipore Zoo Subir Choudhury, however expressed surprise at the death by electrocution, saying if the giraffe had indeed been electrocuted, it would not have survived for 24 hours. Speaking to Hindustan Times on Saturday, Choudhury said, " Legally speaking, as the giraffe died in the custody of the Nandankanan team, we are not responsible for the death of the animal and should get the hippos promised to us. " * On 5/26/08, AZAM SIDDIQUI <azam24x7 wrote: > > *Kind Attention: Secretary/ Chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India > > > **Sub: Request for an inquiry into the Giraffe death in Kolkata and > validity > of the CZA statement. > > * > Dear Sir, > > As you may be aware that a Giraffe that was being transported in India from > one zoo to another in this nuclear age without proper care met with a > horrific accident. > It was then left unattended for several hours as the officials of the two > zoos argued and decided over the fate of the animals as to where should it > be taken for treatment (the nearest aid center being just two hours return > drive from where the animal was being brought- The Kolkata Zoo). > Finally the animal died on arrival, courtesy the blame game roadshow. > > Kindly refer to a news item that has been reported to have appeared in the > Hindustan Times, Kolkata edition dated: (26th May,2008) which has this > point > of view of the Central Zoo Authority: > > *>But Sundar's death would not go into the records of the CZA . The CZA is > not taking any interest in this accident and there is no question of a > probe> with a shocking quote from Mr. B.R. Sharma, Member Secretary CZA " We > are concerned with Indian endangered animals only. Giraffe is basically an > African animal. It is a matter of the two zoo authorities. " <* > > Since the day the Central Zoo Authority was formed, they have been witness > to the acquiring of wild and exotic foreign animals from zoos/ parks > worldwide and now the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) which governs the Zoo > policies/ regulations of India gives this nasty statement that it has no > control over FOREIGN ANIMALS. > This is not only shameful for the CZA and India but it also questions the > integrity of those nations how they trusted their animals to be in safe > custody once they were sent to India. > > The statement of CZA is certainly going to invite a lot of criticism but > then what they say is a fact. I searched their website to find rules/ > guidelines and I failed to find any which were there for the protection of > these vulnerable aniamls which were held captive to mint money. > > So what kind of a Zoo policy is this that allows Zoos to flourish and > generate huge revenues but not take responsibility of its inmates? > Are Indian Zoos a CIRCUS for non-Indian animals in disguise? > > This is so outrageous ! > > I would request you to kindly bring this this issue to the notice of the > Kenyan authorities and other countries as well to stop their authorities > from sending/ exchanging any animal of foreign origin whether as a gift or > under animal exchange policies as in the absence of an authority to check > and control the welfare of such animals in India Zoos it is dangerous for > not only the animal, but it also endangers the lives of millions of > visitors > to the Zoos. > I am sure the 100+ million population of India is not aware that foreign > animals are not controlled by any authority. That in case an African Lion > or > some other carnivore of foreign origin gets loose while it is in transit in > India and God forbid mauls/ kills few human beings in the process, there is > NO authority which can conduct a probe. > > As India does not have any agency/ authority taking care of the animals of > other countries therefore it should be immediately BLACK listed in the > international community and any further proposed deals in animal exchanges > should be scrapped with immediate effect. > This needs to be done immediately to avoid any further casualties and > criticisms. > > At the cost of a ruthless authority we cannot bear to see any more animals > of non- Indian origin to die such painful deaths. > > Another similar incident happened less than a year back in August- 2007 > when > a giraffe was injured seriously in the neck while in transit. See link > below: > http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1321025071.html > > Now the picture is pretty clear that because there is no punishment, no > inquiry, no penalties, no suspension of officials, no accountability > therefore the procedure of Non-India animals being transported within India > is nothing better than that of millions of livestock, cattle or poultry. > > I hope the sacrifice of the two Giraffes in separate incidents in India > giraffe do not go in vain. > > Kindly consider this as important because if such irresponsible statements > are seen to increase in the press and media, the entire goodwill of animal > welfare and contributions by our seniors would all go to waste. > > As a qualified Master Trainer who has been taking interest in the welfare > of > animals in the country, I would appreciate a response from your end as to > what the AWBI has to say in this regard and its stand. > > Thanking you, > > regards, > > Azam Siddiqui > > Master Trainer in Animal Welfare (2001) > Animal Welfare Board of India > > http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui > > Copy to: > > 1. Smt. Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson, People for Animals > > 2. Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary, PETA- India > > 3. Secretary, MOEF > > 4. Mr. Debasis Chakravarti, Trustee, Compassionate Crusaders Trust, Kolkata > > 5. Ms. Suparna Bakshi Ganguly, Vice President, CUPA- Bangalore > > 6. Dr. Chinny Krishna, Chairperson, Blue Cross Society of India > > 7. Mr. G. Rangaswamy, President, Zoo Outreach Organisation > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms > > *Giraffe dies on way to new home > *25 May 2008, 0304 hrs IST,TNN > KOLKATA: A giraffe being transported from Alipore zoo to the Nandankanan > sanctuary in Bhuban-eswar died on Friday when overhead electric wires hit > his neck. The bleeding animal suffered over 21 hours of agony before dying > around 9.30 pm at Alipore zoo, which had been his home for 11 years. > > It seems the officials in charge of transporting Sundar forgot that > giraffes > are the tallest land animals. They simply loaded him on a > flat-bed< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms# > >trailer, > ignoring the fact that its 16-foot height would put it perilously > close to electric and telephone wires. > > Sundar — whose great grandparents were brought to Alipore zoo from Cologne > in Germany in 1986 — was being sent to Nandankanan as part of an exchange > deal. The giraffe was worth 24 animals, including a pair of hippopotamuses. > > On Thursday, four officials from Nandankanan, led by > veterinary< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms# > >surgeon > Samanta Roy, packed Sundar in a crate, placed it on a trailer with > the help of a crane and set off at 11.30 pm. A little later, near Andul > Road > in Howrah, an electric wire hit the animal's neck. Sundar collapsed. > > The trailer sped on till Bagnan, with the veterinary surgeon trying to > revive the giraffe with medicines. Blood oozed from Sundar's mouth. It was > much later that frantic calls were made for help — not to Alipore zoo, > which > was nearer, but to Nandankanan director A K Patnaik. > > Patnaik called Alipore Zoological > Garden< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms# > >director > Subir Chaudhuri. " I promised him all possible assistance though we > had formally handed over the giraffe to them. Sundar was still alive. He > was > not electrocuted, " Chaudhuri said. > > There were apparently no injury marks on Sundar but despite the best > efforts > of two veterinary surgeons, the giraffe died late Friday night. > > " We have successfully handed over giraffes to Delhi, Chennai and Lucknow > zoos over the last 10 years. There were no accident. All of us are in a > state of shock, " Chaudhuri said. > > Sundar's parents Sagar and Uttara are among the six giraffes left in > Alipore > zoo. The giraffe's death has put a question mark on the animal exchange > deal. Nandankanan has sent 22 of the 24 > animals< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Giraffe_dies_on_way_to_new_ho\ me/articleshow/3069674.cms# > >but > the hippopotamuses remain. > > *Giraffe dies after crash* > Link: > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080525/jsp/frontpage/story_9318092.jsp > > A STAFF REPORTER > Calcutta, May 24: A giraffe whose neck struck a roadside pole on the way > from Alipore zoo to Orissa's Nandankanan died after waiting for proper > treatment for more than 12 hours as officials couldn't decide whether to > carry on or return. > > The accident took place early on Friday near Bagnan in Howrah, and Sundar, > the strapping 11-year-old male, might have survived had its escorts decided > fast to go back to Calcutta, a couple of hours' drive from the spot. > > They did return to Alipore, but about 4 in the afternoon after the > directors > of the two zoos had a talk over the phone. Some five-and-a-half hours > later, > about 9.30, Sundar was dead. > > " When it left, it was hale and hearty. We have sent the body for a > post-mortem, " Alipore zoo director Subir Chowdhury said. > > The four-member team, which had arrived from Nandankanan to take the > Calcutta-born giraffe as part of an exchange programme, had left around > 11.30 on Thursday night. > > Near Bagnan, Sundar — in a wooden crate atop a trailer, its long neck > sticking out — suddenly let out a shrill cry. Its neck had hit a pole. " The > animal collapsed in the crate and was in pain, " Chowdhury said. > > A Calcutta zoo official said a vet, who was part of the team, attended to > the injury. " But things didn't seem to work. " > > Around noon on Friday, the official said, Alipore zoo authorities got a > call > from Nandankanan. " Officials from Nandankanan called us asking whether the > giraffe could be treated at our hospital since it was technically their > property. We told them it could be treated at our hospital and it was > decided they would return to Calcutta. " But by then, it was too late. > > Sundar's death — giraffes usually live around 25 years in the wild and > longer in captivity — has also raised questions about the mode of transport > used. " Ideally, a giraffe should be transported with a movable ceiling, > lots > of ventilation, and enough space to allow it to turn, lie down or stand, " > said Sanat Das, a former conservator of forests. > > Zoo officials said the crate Sundar was being transported in was not > comfortable for an eight-to-10-hour journey. > > > _____. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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