NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Animal activists and others are unhappy with the reluctance of the Orissa government to restore the supply of cow meat to animals in the Nandankanan zoo, located on the outskirts of state capital Bhubaneswar.
Zoo officials have been unable to procure beef ever since the police cracked down on its suppliers for violation of the Orissa Cow Slaughter Act, 1960.
The Act outlaws slaughter of cows in the state.
The world famous Nandankanan zoo has about 700 animals, including lions and tigers, of which about 130 need to be fed beef.
"There is no response to our advertisements in national and local newspapers," a zoo official and Assistant Conservator of Forests Manoj Mahapatra told rediff.com on Sunday.
Suppliers from outside the state have not evinced interest owing to financial unviability, he said.
"Mutton and chicken is far too expensive. We are now procuring buffalo meat every day to feed the animals," Mahapatra said.
Animal activists are unhappy with this arrangement.
"Any change in diet will affect the health of the animals and may led to behavioral changes," said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wild Life Society of Orissa.
However, zoo officials monitoring the health of the beef-eating animals said there has been no adverse impact of the change in diet, Mahapatra said, adding that they have not found any change in the behaviour of the animals either.
The government had initially announced that it would amend the Cow Slaughter Act to restore the supply of beef.
However, this was opposed by some organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal.
"We would prefer that the animals be released in the forests. Let them find their own food," state Bajrang Dal chief Subhash Chouhan said.
The VHP and the Bajrang Dal, like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are part of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP is part of the ruling coalition in the state government.
Hence, any decision of the state government in this regard would have larger ramifications, a state law department official said.
The state government's reluctance to rectify matters has caused resentment among the opposition as well as among animal lovers.
"We will register our protest by organising demonstrations in front of the zoo," local Congress legislator Suresh Routray said.
A state animal activist indicated that efforts would be made to create public opinion in favour of a new law to restore the supply of beef.
More reports on Orissa
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
