With many trees in the Delhi Zoo decaying, authorities have come up with a new plan to keep the green cover intact. Zoo officials have conducted a survey of the flora, and decided that new trees must replace decaying ones. The future plan of action also includes re-introducing the concept of dividing the zoo into four zones — African, American, Asian and Australian — placing the flora and fauna accordingly. While the move is appreciated, experts feel other steps need to be taken in order to rope in youngsters to take up the cause of animal rights.
“It is a common and sad sight to see animals so extremely frustrated by confinement that they engage in obsessive and repetitive stereotypic behaviours: constant pacing, swaying, and head bobbing,” says Poorna Poorva Joshipura, chief functionary PETA India.
“The Delhi zoo has faced problems with filth and sewage and the animals at the Delhi zoo suffer the frustrations typical of captivity such as not being able to fulfill many natural behaviours such as flying, roaming or swimming vast distances, partner selection, socialisation and more,” Poorva adds.
A study by Oxford University scientists, says Poorva, found that 40 per cent of elephants in the zoos they studied exhibited such behaviours as a result of severe stress from confinement. “These behaviours were seen in human mental patients confined to their cells in institutions, but are not seen in animals living with their families in the wild.” says environmentalist activist Neha Yadav.
Even celebrities like Anoushka Shankar, Amisha Patel and cricketer Wayne Parnell participated in the PETA campaign against keeping animals in zoos.
“Breeding must be banned at zoos and so should the bringing in of new animals. The animals should eventually be phased out of zoos and money, which is currently poured into zoos, must instead be transitioned into spending it on protecting the animals’ homes in the wild,” says Neha.
Poorva suggests, “Zoos can be converted into botanical parks or science museums where students can be shown wildlife documentaries, be given books to read or engage with computer programs to learn more about how animals behave in nature instead of when they are sad and jailed.”
However, curator (education) Delhi zoo, R.K. Khan is hopeful about their future plans. “We registered a footfall of 14,000 this Sunday. While most of them were tourists, we are hopeful of attracting youth also with this new facelift,” he said.