AfA: Zoo to save, not enslave- GLOBAL PROP FOR CRY

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Friday, July 01, 2005

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CITY NEWSLINES

THE TELEGRAPH

Calcutta > Story

 

Zoo to save, not enslave

- GLOBAL PROP FOR CRY

SUBHRO SAHA

 

The king of the jungle in a cage: The concept of an urban zoo is being

contested. A Telegraph picture

A zoo must act as a rescue-cum-conservation centre and not as an

exhibition gallery... Calcutta-based animal welfare NGO People for

Animals (PFA), which had challenged the concept of an urban zoo in

Calcutta High Court through a public interest litigation (writ

application no. 1950) in 1998, has found global voice to its crusade.

 

Strategic partner Compassionate Crusaders Trust (CCT) - the PIL was

filed based on its findings and analyses - was the sole city

representative at the biennial animal welfare conference, Asia for

Animals, held at Novotel Clarke Quay, Singapore, from June 22 to 24.

 

The forum strongly endorsed CCT's focus on the zoo's role as a

conservation centre and lauded its slogan, 'Life imprisonment without

any court of appeal', according to Louis Ng, president and executive

director, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres),

principal organiser of the conclave.

 

" Any kind of subjugation of a weaker species leads to apprehension and

eventual loss of freedom, " said Debasis Chakrabarti, who did a

presentation on 'Rescue centre operation' at the Singapore forum on

behalf of CCT.

 

The emphasis of Asia for Animals 2005 was on consolidating experience

in the region, with an eye to developing new strategies and

facilitating change. In the main sessions, representatives of

government agencies and NGOs debated topics like 'disaster relief &

recovery', 'ZooChek work in Asia', 'stray animal management', 'rescue

centre operations', 'tackling illegal wildlife trade'?

Chakrabarti called for a concrete road map for all rescued animals,

both short and long-term, " so that they can fend for themselves once

they are returned to the wild, and the zoos have to play a pivotal

role here " .

 

Shubhabrata Ghosh, who had inspected over 30 Indian zoos for CCT

funded by ZooChek Canada, and was the other representative from the

city, underlined the need to stop subjugation in the name of

exhibition/performance in zoos and circuses.

 

 

Copyright © 2005 The Telegraph.