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Poaching controllers head for animal park at Vile Parle

May 30, 2009

Mumbai : Dolpin Aquarium, the animal park at Vile Parle, will have new visitors on Saturday. The anti-poaching unit of the wildlife department will be there to take a close look at the park, under the scanner for keeping wildlife including feral cats, ducks, eagles, turtles and squirrels without proper permission.
The park was developed on a dumping ground in 2005. A former MLA is said to have funded the park. The owners claim it is a treatment centre for rescued animals.

Visitors are charged Rs 10 for entry; the park also has a boating pond filled with fish and duck. Small animals are kept in cages, they said.

A forest official said, “The centre claims to be treating injured animals. Karuna, an NGO, has said they handed over several rescued animals to the park. If the fault of the park is based on ignorance, we will advise them on corrective measures like informing our department within 24 hours of receiving an injured animal.”

However, officials said any decision could be taken only after they visit the park and monitor the health of the animals.

Recently, NGO Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Mumbai, complained to the forest department about wildlife being caged at the park without permission.

Member Secretary, PAWS, Sunish Subramaniam, said, “We have often visited the centre and found scales of large lizards there. It is illegal. Wildlife body parts should be handed over to the forest department. However, the aquarium representatives now deny that they possess them.”

Subramanian said the park cannot keep animals without the Central Zoo Authority’s permission.

Manager of Dolphin Aquarium, Owen Misquitta, said that till recently they were not aware that forest department permission was mandatory. “We have for long been treating and releasing animals and have records of animals given treatment. Qualified vets treat them.”

Misquitta claimed that they never possessed lizard skin or turtle shells but only scales shed naturally by snakes. He added that the Rs 10 fee was for a stroll in the garden and not for seeing the animals.

About Pics : A squirrel at the park; an NGO had complained of wildlife in cages without permission

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Dolphin Aquarium suspected of poaching

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Animal rights NGO PAWS has found monitor lizard skin drying at this fish recreation centre, for which they have filed a complaint with the Forest Department

Yet again in the eye of a storm is the controversial Dolphin Aquarium at Irla Chowk, Vile Parle West, as animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi asks officials of Anti Poaching Unit, Mumbai to look into the matter of animal skin found in the aquarium.

About Pics : This is the aquarium that locals use for recreation

Says Sunish Subramanian, Secretary, PAWS, “We have been persistently forcing the officials to take stringent action before it’s too late. However, they have been ignoring our pleas. More so, the time when we raided their premises, we found skins of monitor lizard drying, which proves the fact that they are also probably trading the same.”

In fact, TWM is in possession of Maneka Gandhi’s letter addressed to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Anti Poaching Unit, Mumbai, where she has asked the officials to take immediate action. It’s been a month since the last raid was done and there has been no action till now.

Informs Owen Misquitta, Director, Dolphin Aquarium, “About keeping animal skin, it's not only the monitor lizard, even skins of various animals such as fish and snake can be found with us, which have been dried, medicines applied on the same to preserve them and prevent insects from eating them.

Also, when schoolchildren approach us to look and study the animals at the aquarium, a lesson is also given to them about animal's skin and body type with these skins.

About Pics : Seen in the red circle is the lizard skin put up to dry

If the complainant has found us into trading of animals and their skin, then I would admit my crime. However, the scenario here is completely different. Without knowing the facts, we are being wrongly framed into a crime, which we have not committed.”

Members and activists of Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) had lodged a complaint in 2005 with the Forest Department, asking them to take action against the aquarium's management and confiscate wild birds such as parakeets and a hill mynah.

Complaints were again made in 2008 with the Forest Department to confiscate parakeets, hill mynah, cuckoo, wild cats and other wild animals kept on its premises. Since they didn't take any action, PAWS complained to Maneka Gandhi.

While higher officials were not available for comment, Satish Phale, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Anti Poaching Unit confirms, “We have received complaints from PAWS, and we have forwarded the same to higher authorities for immediate action.

However, earlier, Phale had said he did not have adequate staff to conduct raids for seizure of wild animals and animal skin, as is mentioned in the letter.

Fishy facts
This dome-shaped aquarium, in the middle of a lake at Irla, has locals and outsiders frequenting it as a place to relax or for boating. It also boasts of a few local varieties of fish and a jogging track. Wild birds, animals and others are kept in a cage around the jogging track that runs around the lake.

Nomadic tribe targeting leopards for skins: Cops

Monday, May 25, 2009

Navi Mumbai: A police inquiry following the seizure of a leopard skin from two persons in Vashi last week is now being aimed at an unidentified nomadic tribe from Nagothane forests in Raigad district.

The confessions of the two arrested men, Bhikaji Ragho Mokal (55) from Pen and Pandurang Babu Bavdane (28) from Nagothane, have revealed that the duo had bought the skin from a nomadic tribe in Nagothane. The duo then tried to sell the skin for Rs 80,000, which is nearly five times the price they paid for the skin when they bought it from the tribe.

“We still don’t know the names of the persons or the nomadic tribe that the accused duo had contacted as they said in their confession that they do not know the exact location of the tribe,’’ said senior inspector of Vashi police Sudhir Chougule. He added that they are in touch with Thane forest officials about the case.

Animal activist from the Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS-Mumbai) Sunish Subramanian said: “Many nomadic tribes and certain gangs in and around Maharashtra forests are actively poaching our wildlife like deer, leopards and even tigers. They are selling their parts for a profit.’’

He added that the poachers are freely using various means, from poisoning waterholes in the jungle to mechanical traps like the brutal ‘pug crunchers or spring traps’ to catch the big cats.

Conservator and director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Dr P N Munde, also told TOI: “The spring traps used by certain poachers cause a lot of pain to the animal caught, as its leg gets stuck tight as soon as it steps on the trap.’’ However, there is no reported poaching in the SGNP region.

A range official from the state forest department said that the trapped animal is immediately killed in the jungle and is first skinned as the skin is the most valuable poaching product.

“In case of a tiger or leopard, its teeth, claws, whiskers and even bones are sold in the illegal poaching market,’’ said Subramanian, adding that stringent anti-poaching laws need to be implemented to stop the animal trade.

This year itself, around 20 tigers have reported to be poached in the Tadoba Andhari forest in Chandrapur region. Earlier this week, a water body frequented by the big cats was poisoned by poachers near Bhandara range in Maharashtra, indicating intense poaching activities in the state. A notorious gang of poachers, called the Katni Gang, has been known to prowl various forest regions in the state to catch wild animals, especially the tiger.


DWINDLING NUMBERS
In 1900, the population of Royal Bengal Tigers in India was estimated to be as high as 40,000. By 1972, it had dwindled to 1,800 because of the increasing human population, indiscriminate mushrooming of industries and overhunting

According to the tiger census report released on February 12, 2008 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the current tiger population stands at 1,411 (that is ranging between a minimum of 1,165 to a maximum of 1,657)

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A plagued past; Byculla zoo pins hopes on makeover

Sunday, 10 May 2009



Mumbai : The death of Shakti, a hippopotamus, at the Byculla zoo on April 24 has raked up a long-standing grudge of mismanagement on the premises.

While conservationists world over are looking to save the lion, an endangered animal, the zoo’s only male lion Amar died prematurely on October 22, 2007, following a prolonged disease. Amar, a hybrid of African and Asiatic lion, was just eight.

The zoo’s 30-year-old rhinoceros, Shiva has been living a celibate life for the past 19 years. The reason: the zoo is yet to find a partner for him.

Even as it is in the midst of a Rs 434-crore makeover, the 53-acre Jijamata Udyan, Byculla, is an example of neglect of animal rights. One of the oldest in the country, the zoo built in 1861 hardly serves its primary purpose — preservation of species or education to the public. Instead, animals live in sheer stress, teased by visitors and hassled by scavenger birds. With no standardised info boards giving details on the genus, nature or habitat of the 19 species of mammals, 39 species of birds and nine species of reptiles on display, visitors also learn nothing new.

Ray of hope

The death of Shakti may have actually come as a blessing in disguise. Confronted by criticism, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation last week appointed two honorary veterinarians to render advice and guidance to the zoo officials on day-to-day maintenance, healthcare management, enrichment activities and upkeep of the zoo.

The two doctors — Dr M S Karawale, former deputy superintendent (veterinary) of the zoo, and Dr Yuvraj Kaginkar, hospital manager of the Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — conducted an inspection of the enclosures and made suggestions, zoo officials said. “The suggestions are varied, from improving conditions within enclosures to raising security at certain points. We will start working on them soon,” said Dr Sanjay Thripati, a zoo vet.

Quality of life

A change may be in the offing, but animal activists say the quality of life of animals has remained abysmal over the years. They say while efforts are on to give the city a swanky zoo of international standards in just two years, the physical and psychological health of the inmates have been neglected. “Recently, I visited the zoo and took photographs of children feeding potato chips to monkeys. People climb over the railings to take pictures, they pelt stones on them. We can’t change the mentality of people, we can only increase security,” said Sunish Subramanian of Plants and Animal Welfare Society.

Among the other tales of neglect are the death of 16 deer in February 2006. The deer died when three stray dogs entered their enclosures through holes in the grills, causing a stampede. A day after the incident, the then zoo superintendent was sacked and the gaps were closed with wire mesh. A guard who claimed to be present near the enclosure maintained that he did not hear or see a thing. The saddest story, though, is perhaps the death of Guru, a hippo, on June 6, 1998, when he fell into the moat surrounding his enclosure and lay unnoticed for nearly 24 hours.

In October 2004, People for Ethical Treatment to Animals (Peta) had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the unhealthy environment of the Byculla zoo. Subsequently, a committee was appointed to study the problem and suggest solutions. The recommendations included measures like enriching enclosures and building moats. Peta says the court order has brought in little changes.

New look

Deputy municipal commissioner (Gardens) Vikram Pawar says it’s a matter of time before the work for the new zoo begins. “It will house 273 mammals of 43 species, 183 birds of 24 species and 96 reptiles/amphibians of 26 species. Till then, we are following the CZA norms in maintaining enclosures, providing fodder and water as well as cleaning the exhibit.”

The new zoo proposes to have theme parks, an exploration centre, gift shops and a restaurant facing a cheetah enclosure.

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Adjutant stork injured in zoo fight

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Mumbai: Merely 10 days after Shakti, an hippopotamus, met with an untimely death due to respiratory failure at the Byculla zoo, an adjutant stork, another resident of the zoo, narrowly escaped a similar fate on Sunday morning.

The bird, which is an endangered species featuring in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) list, severely injured its neck in an infight and had to undergo a two-hour surgery in the zoo hospital, said Yuvraj Kaginkar, hospital manager, SPCA hospital.

The surgery, which included packing up the stork’s neck muscles and suturing its delicate skin from the head to neck was done by hospital vet and surgeon Dr Sanjay Tripathi along with Kaginkar.

“We had to make about five to eight sutures and the injury was on a very tender spot. Storks have very delicate and thin necks. Besides, the bird was in tremendous shock and had lost a lot of blood. Considering all that we had to conduct the surgery with utmost care,” the doctors said.

According to Tripathi, in-fights are common among these species of storks in this season. “It’s their breeding season and they often get into fights,” he said. However, Kaginkar opined, “At such times, it’s advisable to keep these birds in separate enclosures so that no harm is done.” The stork is currently said to be out of danger and recuperating in the zoo hospital.

Meanwhile, animal lovers reiterated that the stork fight was a result of bad governance in the zoo. “In the past too, I have seen a heron in an injured state in the display enclosures. Birds with drooping wings are common here. Recently, I saw a monkey eating chips. The problem here is that the enclosures don’t have enough caretakers overseeing the inmates,” said Sunish Subramanian of PAWS-Mumbai.

For Photographs on Animals condition at Mumbai Zoo Please Visit www.pawsmumbaiphotographs.blogspot.com

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Fishing for trouble

Sunday, May 03, 2009
Irla aquarium, built with funds from former MLA Vinayak Raut, pulled up for allegedly keeping wild birds and animals without relevant permissions
The Dolphin Aquarium at Irla near Vile Parle, built with money from former MLA Vinayak Raut’s area development fund scheme, is once again under the scanner of the forest conservator. Wild birds, squirrels, jungle cats and even turtles have been kept there, allegedly without securing relevant permissions from authorities.

The premises was raided once before by the forest department - soon after its inauguration in 2005 - following a complaint from animal activists. Then, a hill myna and some caged parakeets, which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, were confiscated by the officials.

This time around, the Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has lodged a complaint with the Forest Department, asking them to take action against the aquarium’s management yet again - and confiscate wild birds such as parakeets, a hill myna and a cuckoo kept on its premises.
About Pics : The Dolphin Aquarium at Vile Parle
“The place had kept a low profile after the raid in 2005,” said Sunish Subramaniam, secretary of PAWS. “Recently, a local resident wrote a letter informing us about wild birds such as parakeets and cuckoos being kept there. We therefore decided to lodge a complaint. The only place that has permissions from the Central Zoo Authority, or holds the licence to keep such species on display in the city, is the Veermata Jijabai Udyan at Byculla.”

When contacted, Raut said, “This place was earlier treated as a dumping ground. We beautified it. And yes, we have kept the birds again, but this time, we have applied for the necessary permissions. The application is still under process.”

The dome-shaped aquarium - situated in the middle of a lake at Irla - is a spot frequented by locals, who come to the place to relax or for boating. The premises also boasts of a few local varieties of fish and a jogging track. The birds were kept caged around the jogging track that winds around the lake.

Satish Phale, assistant conservator of forests, confirmed that PAWS had filed a complaint, and said that the matter would be looked into immediately after his staff was relieved of election duties.

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