Clean chit to zoo authorities

By Prafulla Das

NANDANKANAN, JULY 8. Even as doubts continue to persist in the minds of wildlife lovers about the death of a dozen tigers in the Nandankanan Zoological Park, members of the high-power committee formed by the Centre virtually gave a clean chit to the zoo authorities today, saying there was nothing wrong in the line of treatment.

The five-member team observed that the post-mortem reports clearly indicated that tripanosomiasis parasitic infection caused the deaths. And Berenil injection was the right drug to be administered on the tigers. ``There was nothing wrong in the line of treatment,'' said Dr. Ram Kumar, member-secretary of the Veterinary Council of India and a member of the Central team.

Another member, a wildlife expert, Mr. Pushp Kumar, observed, ``there is no evidence to show that there was any wilful neglect on the part of the zoo authorities.''

The committee members perused the post-mortem reports and office records of the zoo hospital, besides talking to the zoo staff. They also advised on the measures to be taken to avoid further tiger deaths. ``We are on a fact-finding mission and at the same time our concern is to save the rest of the tigers,'' Dr. Ram Kumar said. The zoo has a total of 44 tigers at present, including 19 white ones.

On whether there was any delay in the administration of the injection, both the members answered in the negative. The medicine had been administered to 16 tigers as a preventive measure on July 3 - a day after a tiger, Sagar, showed symptoms of tripanosomiasis infection. Sagar was given the drug on the day it showed symptoms.

``It is not easy to find the symptoms of illness in tigers as they do not show any sign till the last,'' Dr. Ram Kumar observed.

Asked whether administration of Berenil in empty stomach had aggravated the situation, Mr. Pushp Kumar said that could not be a factor. Berenil was both a preventive and curative drug and it probably did not provide much help because the infection had reached its advance stage. The post-mortem report of tiger Debasis, who died on June 23, had indicated tripanosomiasis among two other diseases and the zoo authorities had taken it as an isolated case.

Observing that the remaining tigers who were administered Berenil on July 2 and 3 were all right, the members said experts were trying their best to save them.

The committee will submit its preliminary report to the Centre on July 15. The final report will be prepared after the Central Zoo Authority receives the results of sample analysis.

Two non-government organisations held demonstrations demanding proper probe into tiger deaths and action against those responsible. While the Nandankanan Suraksha Samiti organised the demonstration outside the zoo, the People for Animals staged it in Bhubaneswar.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Akash test-fired
Next     : 'Foreign expert opinion on tigers death not
           needed'