Often chained, sometimes tortured, elephants to be evicted from zoos and circuses for a ‘better’ life in ‘protected’ areas...
The next time around you’re at the Delhi zoo, don’t be surprised if Rajlakshmi is nowhere in sight, for her and her likes – elephants across zoos in the country – are headed for greener pastures… The pride of the Delhi zoo, along with her other two companions, one of which is an African male elephant, having wowed scores of visitors for many years, will all be gone...
In fact, elephants in zoos (and circuses) throughout the country, will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a notice to the effect issued recently by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). That would mean that circuses will have to let go of their trademark crowd-puller, ‘Jumbo Shows,’ where the animal is made to do tricks from balancing on two legs and sitting on a small stool to playing a game of cricket and even football, all in the name of entertainment and attracting the crowds.
In its order, the CZA has observed that, “Elephants require a lot of space to move around and being large herbivores, zoos do not provide ideal conditions for their survival.” A March 2009 estimate pegs the total number of such elephants, including those at circuses, at 140.
The decision, it is said, has been taken after evaluating the conditions at various zoos and circuses. Without attempting to question the noble intentions behind such a move, a few pertinent questions do crop up. What about other animals in zoos? Are they any less deserving of the same compassion? Are their living conditions ideal? Or is it the typical case of ‘size does matter’? While these questions need some pondering, the decision has brought many cheers to the lobby that has been fighting for better conditions for the animal. However, some would also argue that authorities have taken the easy way out as constraints with respect to size of enclosures, in zoos especially, could have been dealt with easily owing to large spaces that lie wasted due to bad planning and poor design. Some also maintain that the upkeep of a large animal like an elephant is no mean task and there are reports of reluctance on the part of some forest departments to accept the animals.
Perplexing as it may sound, the diktat is not binding on hundreds of elephants that are either used for work or those kept in temples. It would also be interesting to see how the well-intended move is received by circus owners who have already been made to part with their tigers and lions in the past. All said and done, the move would mean that a family’s day out at the zoo will soon give way to a weekend holiday to Corbett National Park or Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, for a jungle safari would be the only other option for parents of kids who will settle for nothing less than the real thing. In all this, let’s just hope the elephant gets a better life… for the heart of a wild animal knows little joy in anything else but the freedom that comes from instinct, the freedom to roam free...
The next time around you’re at the Delhi zoo, don’t be surprised if Rajlakshmi is nowhere in sight, for her and her likes – elephants across zoos in the country – are headed for greener pastures… The pride of the Delhi zoo, along with her other two companions, one of which is an African male elephant, having wowed scores of visitors for many years, will all be gone...
In fact, elephants in zoos (and circuses) throughout the country, will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a notice to the effect issued recently by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). That would mean that circuses will have to let go of their trademark crowd-puller, ‘Jumbo Shows,’ where the animal is made to do tricks from balancing on two legs and sitting on a small stool to playing a game of cricket and even football, all in the name of entertainment and attracting the crowds.
In its order, the CZA has observed that, “Elephants require a lot of space to move around and being large herbivores, zoos do not provide ideal conditions for their survival.” A March 2009 estimate pegs the total number of such elephants, including those at circuses, at 140.
The decision, it is said, has been taken after evaluating the conditions at various zoos and circuses. Without attempting to question the noble intentions behind such a move, a few pertinent questions do crop up. What about other animals in zoos? Are they any less deserving of the same compassion? Are their living conditions ideal? Or is it the typical case of ‘size does matter’? While these questions need some pondering, the decision has brought many cheers to the lobby that has been fighting for better conditions for the animal. However, some would also argue that authorities have taken the easy way out as constraints with respect to size of enclosures, in zoos especially, could have been dealt with easily owing to large spaces that lie wasted due to bad planning and poor design. Some also maintain that the upkeep of a large animal like an elephant is no mean task and there are reports of reluctance on the part of some forest departments to accept the animals.
Perplexing as it may sound, the diktat is not binding on hundreds of elephants that are either used for work or those kept in temples. It would also be interesting to see how the well-intended move is received by circus owners who have already been made to part with their tigers and lions in the past. All said and done, the move would mean that a family’s day out at the zoo will soon give way to a weekend holiday to Corbett National Park or Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, for a jungle safari would be the only other option for parents of kids who will settle for nothing less than the real thing. In all this, let’s just hope the elephant gets a better life… for the heart of a wild animal knows little joy in anything else but the freedom that comes from instinct, the freedom to roam free...
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