They forgot what freedom was like

By P. Oppili

CHENNAI, MAY 25. This morning, nine-year-old Rosy, a lioness, found her trap door open. She was ``free.'' But Rosy hesitated. Even the call from her master to enter the spacious enclosure at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, evoked no response.

After a lot of hesitation and apprehension, she entered the enclosure. The space, so huge, seemed to make her happy. She rolled on the bare ground, apparently happy.

It was more than a decade since she has been out of her small cage. The same was the condition of another lioness, Rani, the bear, Lakshmi, a pair of hyenas and the three jackals, which were illegally exhibited during a temple festival in Veerapandi, in Theni district. The local Forest officials seized the animals a few days ago.

The seized animals were safely transported to the zoo in Vandalur today and they were released into the enclosures in the quarantine area.

Two lionesses, two hyenas, a python, two jackals, three crocodiles, three porcupines, three monkeys, a bear, one adjutant stork, a tortoise and a peacock were illegally exhibited during the temple festival, said the officials.

According to Mr. S.M. Dhanushkoti, Range Officer, Chinnamanur, Theni Division, the animals were brought to the village for a temple festival. When the officials demanded the owner to produce the `possession certificate' and `transit permit' for taking the animals from place to place, he was able to produce only an expired possession certificate issued in Karnataka two decades ago. After taking possession of the animals, they were brought here.

Already the zoo houses three lions and three lionesses, a bear and a panther, which was seized by the wildlife officials of Chennai from Melnariyappanur, a village near Kallakurichi in Villupuram district, said Mr. B. Venkatraman, Deputy Director, AAZP.

Though the animals were kept in hygienic surroundings by the exhibitors, they were not provided ample space.

This was evident from the fact that when one of the hyenas was released into a cage in the quarantine area, the animal was reluctant to enter the new place and after a lot of persuasion by zoo animal keepers, it entered the enclosure.

Due to their long stay inside small cages, the animals developed certain characteristics not found in animals in the wild. For instance, all the animals were hand-fed and hence seemed to have lost their natural hunting instincts. ``If they were released into the wild, they might not be able to hunt like their cousins in the wild,'' say the wildlife experts.

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Section  : Southern States
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