01 February - 07 February '09By: Staff Reporter
Powai - 01 February 09 : Constant campaign by animal activists has finally paid off. It has taken three years for the forest department to free 85 deer from captivity in Powai Garden Mini Zoo . However, 12 deer died while being transferred to Tungareshwar sanctuary near Vasai.
The animals were kept cramped in cages and the wire mesh of the holding cage was broken at many places, resulting in injuries to the animals. Many deer had taken ill and were being looked after by a BMC appointed veterinary doctor.
Sunish Subramanian -Secretary & Animal Welfare Officer of Animals Welfare Board of India said "Following to an information our organisation Plant & Animals Welfare Society - Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) team visited to the spot an launched an written complaint with Dy. Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Division, Thane Office. Later the office have seized some wildlife which are as 120 kg of Deer's horns, 1 Star Turtle & 75 Live Deer's which were again handover the BMC, And offence was booked under Wildlife (Protection) Act Central Zoo Act, against 3 topmost officers BMC that is Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Hydraulic Engineer Powai, Assistant Engineer Out Side City, Assistant Garden Superintendent Powai. “
He also added, “We also filed many RTI application to get information about the deer in cage, following to the complaint Animal welfare Board of India was also send letter to forest department. This deer had been illegal enclose at BMC garden at Powai for more then 40 years as per the RTI reply received by PAWS-Mumbai".
Now they have shifted all the deer to the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary at Vasai. It is clear that since 1996 the wildlife department has failed to take action against offenders and book offenders in front of Hon. Court, because the offenders are not common citizens but government body.
In this regard while talking to to P.N.Munde, Conservator of forest, Sanjay Gandhi National Park said "We had shifted the deer nearly a month age. The animals were transported in batches in special trucks as per the IUCN guidelines".
Dr. Vinaya Jangale Veterinary Doctor of Sanjay Gandhi National Park said "As deer are delicate animal, so we kept them in cages constructed in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary over a month before releasing in to wild.”
