This may sound absolutely bizarre, but apparently officials at the Delhi Zoo have no clue about the number animals under their watch.
According to a TOI report, HC has ordered that the animal census will be carried under police protection as the zoo officials have been blocking the census team to hold the animal count.
¡°Dr Abhijit Bhawal, veterinary officer, NZP, did not allow the team to carry out its assigned work and even resorted to physical assault of team members,¡± the court said.
¡°Order of April 9, 2019, has not been complied with. Census?has not been carried out. We direct the SHO, Hazrat Nizamuddin police station, to provide the requisite police force."
Things are even more mysterious according to a petition filed by environment activists?at the High Court against the park.?
The zoo staff has been tampering the data by providing animals expired medicines, changing the death count and changing the post mortem reports.?
The High Court said, 'There is absolute lawlessness prevailing in the national zoo..The records are being manipulated and tampered with and the statutory body is not being allowed to perform its assigned duties. The death of animals is being suppressed. It points to a sordid state of affairs in the National Zoological Park.'
This apart, the rising mercury is playing havoc for the residing National Zoological Park. Heavy-duty desert coolers and 'toofan' fans are out and energy boosters such as glucose and ORS are stocked up in Delhi's zoo to help its animals beat the scorching heat.
PTI
The zoo has four leopards kept in two cages, each with a large desert cooler and two fans. Their caretaker, Sridhar, makes sure they get water after every half hour. The big cats get 6 kg red meat, their only meal for the day, around noon.
¡°We reduce their meat intake by 2 kg in summer so that they can hold more water in their stomach and don¡¯t feel dehydrated,¡± he explains. My leopards consume 1 kg glucose a week. I also mix ORS in their water to deal with electrolyte imbalance due to excessive heat,¡± he says.
According to this report there are roughly about 200 animals living in Delhi Zoo.?
AGENCY INPUTS PTI