An Elephant Sized Problem for Bannerghatta Zoo
It is akin to the story of the White Elephant: (Wikipedia)
"A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth."(Wikipedia)
Rescued Jumbos a Burden for Bannerghatta Zoo
The Forest
Department has temporarily put on hold the request made by the authorities of
Bannerghatta Zoo to release a dozen elephants back to the forests because of
huge cost of feeding them.
Recently, the zoo
authorities wrote to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife) to shift
around 12 rescued elephants which are presently housed in the zoo’s elephant
rescue centre.
Sources told Express
that the Forest Department had not kept its promise to release more money
towards feeding those pachyderms and the additional burden has fallen on the
zoo. The zoo required just three to four elephants for display purposes, but it
has 15 elephants. Maintaining them has become a big problem.
Sources said despite
shortage of staff, the zoo has managed to put 30 people to look after the 15
elephants. Each jumbo is taken care of by two people — a mahout and a kavadi —
and they need to stay with them day and night to prevent them from mingling with
visiting wild elephants from nearby forests. Feeding of each elephant costs
around `1.25 lakh-1.5 lakh per month and the zoo was not in a position to spend
that much. “We can manage if the Forest Department gives us additional funds,”
sources said.
Two days ago, an
elephant calf, which separated from its herd near Kanakpura, was brought to the
zoo. “If the Forest Department goes on adding elephants where is the money to
feed them. Even the request to provide the services of veterinary doctor has not
been fulfilled,” sources alleged.
When contacted, PCCF
(wildlife) Vinay Luthra said the Central Zoo Authority has set guidelines
within which all the zoos have to function. “Shifting of elephants from one zoo
to another or from zoo to forests require the CZA’s permission. Till they get the permission, the elephants
are the property of the zoo and they will stay there. I am not aware of the
number of elephants which were housed at Bannerghatta Zoo. Once the permission
comes, we will take steps to shift them.”
Luthra said it has
been the practice to house rescued jumbos in nearby elephant camps. Since all
the five elephant camps are full, some of them have been kept in the Zoo. “I am
optimistic of finding an early solution to this problem,” he said.
So the CZA are going to move them. One wonders where. The wild is not wild any more. I can foresee Bannerghatta's problem just being transferred somewhere else. These animals may not be a welcome gift.
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