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Delhi Zoo orders enquiry into death of Cape buffalo
New Delhi
New Delhi
The National Zoological Park on Thursday ordered an enquiry into the death of the last Cape buffalo.
Hindustan Times had on Wednesday reported how plastic was found inside the animal’s stomach during post-mortem, suggesting it could have been the cause of its death on August 27.
“The administration has taken a serious note of the incident and an inquiry has been ordered. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” said RA Khan, curator of Delhi Zoo.
Hindustan Times accessed a letter sent by veterinary officer Abhijit Bhawal to zoo director Renu Singh on September 1. The letter said plastic was found in the animal’s stomach.
“Further, incidence of plastic in the stomach of the Cape Buffalo has raised many questions. Hence I would request you to kindly take the matter seriously,” stated the letter, a copy of which is with HT.
Former joint director of the zoo, AK Bhowmik, would lead the probe and submit a report at the earliest. Khan said samples of the material found inside the animal’s stomach have been sent to a laboratory in Bareilly.
The zoo had banned plastic in 1992. The authorities had put up notice boards warning visitors against taking plastic inside, he said.
“Though there’s a complete ban on plastic inside the zoo, polythene bags find their way to animal enclosures through birds,” Khan said.
Delhi Zoo has already come under the scanner after an inventory report said 245 animals had died between April 2018 and June 2019, against 323 births.
The zoo had two Cape buffaloes; the first one died in February 2017.
Inventory reports accessed by HT reveals that the number of species housed in the zoo has dropped from 129 in 2002-03 to 99 in 2017-18.
This year, it lost a few more. The last Cassowary, the last Chinkara and the last Cape Buffalo, died this year.
“Animals are living without mates and after their death, the zoo will lose these species, bringing down the number of animals further. The empty cages are being replaced by existing animals. Spotted deer, black bucks and bonnet macaques can be seen in multiple cages,” a zoo official said.
