Citizen Inspection Reports: December 2011

National Zoological Park / Delhi Zoo

Citizen Inspection Report

Prepared by

Plant & Animals Welfare Society - Mumbai

12th & 16th November 2011

Introduction

As Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) office received many feedbacks about condition of various Zoo’s in India after our Citizen Inspection Report on Veermata Jijabai Bhosle Udayn / Mumbai Zoo was made public. We as concerned citizens of India and animal lovers so we decided to visit National Zoological Park commonly known as Delhi Zoo, located at Near Purana Qila, Mathura Road, New Delhi – 110003. So PAWS-Mumbai team have made surprise visit as ordinary visitor on 12^th & 16^th November 2011 by purchasing ticket of visitor (No.23864/5/17657/59/60) of Rs. 20/- each and Parking Ticket of Rs. 35/-.

Giraffe

No water or fodder seen in the enclosure.
Visitors were teasing them. As there was no caretaker near enclosure.
The animal was looking depressed as the crows were harassing them.

White Tiger (Panthera tigris Tigris)

Only one Tiger was on display, and others were not freed from captive.
No food & water was available for the use of the animal.
As there was no caretaker / guard, the visitors were throwing stones on the resting tiger.

Tiger (Panthera Tigris)

There was only one Tiger seen in the cage, as per the information available there were supposed to be Three Tigers inside the cage for display.
No caretaker due to which visitors were teasing the animal.
Caretaker was seen only at 4 PM when the animal was put back in captivity.

Jaguar - Panthera Onca

*Surprised and shocking to see inhuman way of treating animals by the caretaker itself in this Jaguar enclosure. A caretaker was with stick to make public appearance inside the enclosure.
There were two Jaguars seen inside the enclosure and they were friendly.
No natural habitat, food & water were provided to the Jaguar or natural environment provided.
It was 3.45 PM they wanted to put them back in there small cage. As the animals did not want to get back into captivity, they were forced to return to the small cage.

Sloth Bear - Ursus Ursinus

Bears were in the most terrible condition. Crows were harassing them.
We found no food and water in any of the enclosure & one of the bears was looking around for water.
Visitors were throwing stones on them.

Gharial - Gavialis Gangeticus

Water was dirty and stinking.
It was shocking to see thread on one of Gharial on his jaw.
No caretakers around and thus the visitors were enjoying throwing stones in water.

Asiatic Lion - Panthera Leo Persica

There were only one Lion seen.
As the lion was resting and the visitor were teasing & throwing stones at the Lion. The Lion kept growling in protest.
Visitors were standing on grill and boundary walls too.

Birds : In Open

Birds like Jaguar - Panthera Onca, Little Cormorants – Phalacrocorax Niger, Cattle Egrets – Bubulcus Ibis, Pond Herons – Ardeola Grayii, Night Herons – Nycticorax Nycticorax, Common Teals – Anas Crecca, White Necked Storks – Ciconia Episcopus, Sarus Cranes – Grus Antigone, White Storks – Ciconia Ciconia, Black Necked Storks – Ephippiorhynchus Asiaticus, White Ibises – Threskiornis Aethiopica, Spoonbills – Platalea Leucorodia, Shovelers – Anas Clypeata, Pintails – Anas Acuta, Spot Billed Ducks – Anas Poecilorhyncha are very happy as they are free and enjoying the natural habitat and environment as per there wish.
Water where the Ducks are kept was not clean.
No caretaker due to which visitors were throwing stones in the water and on the birds who are on the trees.

Birds : In Caged / Enclosure

Birds like Scarlet Macaws - Ara Macao, Blue and Yellow Macaw - Ara Ararauna, White Peafowl - Pavo Cristatus Alba, Alexandrine or Large Indian Parakeet - Psittacula Eupatria, Kalij Pheasant - Lophura Leucomelana, Great Indian Hornbill - Buceros Bicornis and few birds were caged.
No natural environment was provided as per the bird’s habitat.
Peacock which was free in open was very happy and birds like Peafowl & other who were caged seen depressed.
There was no food or water in most of the cages of captive birds.

Emu - Dromiceius Novaehollandiae

Visitors especially children were screaming and throwing stones at the resting birds.
The birds were searching for water but not a single drop of water could be seen in the enclosure for the use of birds.
No caretakers were seen near the enclosure.

Nilgaai - Boselaphus Tragocamelus

Hog Deer - Axis Porcinus

Blackbuck - Antilope Cervicapra

Sambar - Cervus Unicolor

Chital - Axis Axis

They are kept in different open enclosures.
As no caretakers were seen near enclosure, so visitors were busy in teasing & throwing stone inside enclosure for entertainment.
Not a single drop of water was seen inside the enclosure, totally dry.
It looks like they are living on the dried leaves.

Hippopotamus - Hippoptamus Amphibius

Water was very dirty in the pond where Hippo was there and plastic waste was seen inside it.
No caretaker near enclosure and visitor enjoying throwing stones inside water, which could hurt the Hippo too.

Great One Horned Rhinoceros - Rhinoceros Unicornis

There were two rhinos.
Water in the pond was very dirty.
Pigeons & crows were harassing and irritating the animal.

African Elephant - Loxodonta Africana (Nos. 1) and Indian Elephant - Elephas Maximus (Nos. 2)

Elephants were always chained, during both the visits.
They were depressed and no water was kept for use of the elephants.

Hoolock Gibbon - Hylobates Hoolock

Lion Tailed Macaque - Macaca Silenus

Bonnet Macaque - Macaca Radiata

Hoolock Gibbon is seen very friendly and happily playing.
At 3:30 PM we saw two caretakers wishing to put them back into the cave. So they were *hitting them with sticks to get them back, finally they got scared and got in there cave. It look like this animals are criminals and caretakers are jailers.
No natural environment was provided to them.
There seen three Lion Tailed Macaque and few Bonnet Macaque which appeared very unhappy & depressed in the enclosures.
No food or water was found in any of the enclosures.

Chimpanzee :

We seen Chimpanzee Sign board but it was not seen in the enclosure, on asking to the zoo people they told as the wall fell down so we not kept it for display.
Therefore, the Chimpanzee were kept in small cage since many days.

Common Observation

Water in most of the enclosure was dirty or not found at all. Especially bear were in terrible condition though they have enough space because they failed to provide environment as per the habitat of the respective animals & birds.
*Staff running and parking their personal bikes inside zoo.
No caretakers/ volunteers/ experts are available near the enclosures to explain about the animals and create awareness about the need to protect and conserve out wildlife. Caretakers were seen only after 4 pm because most of the animals were to be hearded back in their small cages.
Zoo caretakers are appointed for looking after the animal and not for causing distress to the animals. This amounted to cruelty towards animals. This happens when any government employee gets appointed as “caretaker of animals” and not a person who has aptitude and love for caretaking of animals.
Most of the staff is unqualified, uneducated, untrained.
*Plastic bottle, plastic waste / caps of cold drinks are seen lying inside zoo premises even inside the enclosures.
Clean drinking water needs to be made available for easy access to the birds and animals throughout the day.
Pigeons, crows keep harassing and irritating the animals and birds which need to be looked into.
Adequate caretakers and security personnel needs to be around the enclosures so that animals needs are promptly fulfilled.
Another *serious health issue for the animals as well as visitors is urinating by visitors in the open spaces.

Suggestion

As Zoo have enough space, they should provide the animals it natural habitat & environment. So that animal should not feel like they are been caged. Till that time Central Zoo Authority (CZA) should de-recognition the registration of Zoo.
Qualified, educated, trained staff should be appointed and citizen volunteers should be invited for help during crowded days.
Clean water should be available in all the enclosures and which should be cleaned daily or in 2 – 3 days otherwise we may loss life of animals due to illness and infection.
Visitors should be educated for creating awareness. Awareness center could be setup at the entrance of the zoo.
There should be total ban on entry of staff vehicles inside the zoo, as it is pollution free zone.
Injured and depressed animals should not be kept for display.
For entertainment of animal and birds there should be some play toys and natural environment inside enclosure. Animals should not be crammed in small cages / enclosures after 4 pm, as animals are not the criminal & Zoo management is not a jailer to do so.