(IN) CZA guidelines:a lone animal is not allowed in a safari for public display

December 8, 2009

on-tenterhooks-/articleshow/5312123.cms

Lioness' honeymoon has authorities on tenterhooks

Hardik Shah, TNN 7 December 2009, 11:20pm IST

VAPI: It's a ‘tale' of two honeymoons. One of a lioness that never happened for

curious reasons and that of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH) authorities, which is

about to end.

The authorities had great hopes when they set up Vasna Lion Safari seven years

ago on 60 acre of land at Vasona village in DNH. Now, they are caught on the

horn's of a dilemma. Neither have they enough lions to call it a safari, nor can

they close the highly ambitious project. Two Asiatic lions -- Kush, Dharma and

two lionesses -- Sonal and Silky -- were brought to the safari from Gir with the

hope that their numbers would increase through breeding. However, the lions were

unable to procreate and died. Lioness Silky, too, died, leaving Sonal alone in

the wilderness, which have dashed the authorities plan of having a thriving

safari.

The authorities, however, are not willing to give up that easily. " We have

decided to bring one more lion from Junagadh zoo, " assistant conservator of

forests (wildlife), DNH, Dilipsinh Mangrola said.

" We have sent many requests to Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to grant permission

to bring more Asiatic lions from Junagadh to DNH. But there has been no positive

response, " said deputy conservator of forests, DNH B Chaudhry.

The authorities want to bring a lion to the safari at the earliest because of

CZA guidelines, which say a lone animal is not allowed in a safari for public

display.

Mangrola has suggested that in the mean time, Sonal be taken for mating with an

Asiatic lion in Gir. If it happens, it will end the authorities honeymoon with

the proposed safari, but will kick off a bright and long-awaited one for Sonal.

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Thank you for your compassion !

With best regards,

Debasis Chakrabarti

Compassionate Crusaders Trust

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