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Dear All,

 

Please See Below article appeared in today's DNA page 5

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1173150

Does Mumbai need a zoo?

Joanna Lobo & Ritika Kumar

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 03:05 IST

 

Activists come out against the proposed zoo at Aarey Milk Colony

 

First, it was Mumbai becoming Shanghai. Now, the state officials are thinking of

a new zoo in the city on the lines of the San Diego Zoo in the US.

 

So maybe next year you can go on a night safari. Or if you love the company of

birds, you can get married in the bird park, which will be made on the lines of

the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore. The prospect may sound appealing, but the

city’s environmentalists and animal rights activists do not share the sentiment.

 

One school of thought holds a view that there should not be a zoo in the city.

Daryl D’Monte, an environmentalist, said, “I wonder if a zoo can survive in the

conditions prevalent in the city. It is so congested and polluted.”

 

Nilesh Bhanage, secretary and founder of Progressive Animal Welfare Society

(PAWS), said, “Mumbai, or for that matter Maharashtra, does not require any

zoos. The zoos that exist are not maintained as per the standards set by the

government.”

 

If the Central Zoo Authority gives the go-ahead to the new one, then PAWS plans

to launch a mass campaign with animal welfare organisations. Anuradha Sawhney

from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said, “Why take an animal

out of its natural habitat so that the people can see a caricature of it? What

is shown in a zoo is not what happens in

the wild.”

 

If existing zoos cannot be done away with, these activists believe they can be

maintained in a better fashion. “The size of the enclosures needs to be

improved. The animals should be fed on time, especially nocturnal animals.

Visitors should be prohibited from teasing and harassing the animals,” said

Sawhney.

 

D’Monte suggested utilising the money to maintain the Sanjay Gandhi National

Park. “It is high time we realise the importance of the park. We should spread

awareness among the people,” he said.

 

Another school of thought supports the idea of a second zoo, albeit with some

piece of advice. Goldin Quadros, education officer, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in

Maharashtra said the zoo at Byculla should be maintained as a botanical garden

that can give way to a new modernised zoo.

 

JC Daniel, secretary of BHNS said, “Animals at Byculla could be shifted to the

new zoo. The area allotted for the new zoo is large and can be good for the

animals.”

 

They also pointed out that the government has allotted a good amount of money

for the project, but it should be used more professionally. The consultants and

the care-takers should be well-trained to ensure that the new venture is not a

flop show.

 

Also visit our updated website with new information's & give your feedback on ID

mentioned in site.

www.pawsasia.org

 

If any one interested in joining our forthcoming events / camps can click below,

we had uploaded events on Orkut PAWS community:

http://www.orkut.co.in/Community.aspx?cmm=16797766

 

Regards,

 

Nilesh Bhanage

Tel : 0251 - 2625059

Cell : 09820161114

" Hand that help is more holier than lips that pray! "

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