Will lions in UP zoos have to live on ‘palak paneer’?: Congress MP

A Congress member in the Lok Sabha on Friday appeared to be raking up the issue of meat shortage in Uttar Pradesh as he wondered whether lions in the state’s zoos would have to survive on “palak paneer”.

A Congress member in the Lok Sabha on Friday appeared to be raking up the issue of meat shortage in Uttar Pradesh as he wondered whether lions in the state’s zoos would have to survive on “palak paneer”.

All four slaughterhouses of Kanpur Municipal Corporation have been closed, resulting in the suspension of meat supply for animals. (HT File Photo)

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he felt bad after coming to know that in many zoos in Uttar Pradesh lions were not given meat and instead are fed with chicken.

“We are not providing meat to lion... Hope no one says tomorrow that lions should survive by eating palak paneer,” he remarked.

Read | No meat for animals at Kanpur zoo after shutdown of city’s slaughterhouses

He said India exports meat worth about Rs 28,000 crore every year but there is no meat for “sher and babbar sher (lions)”.

There is a shortage of meat for animals in zoos in Uttar Pradesh where the new government is preparing an action plan to close down illegal as well as mechanised slaughter houses.