NAGPUR: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) inspection and evaluation
committee has recommended seizure of Padma, a female elephant with Amar
Circus, for illegal ownership and violating CZA guidelines for housing
and care of elephants. It has also directed to stop performance of
semi-blind hippopotamus Amar.
The committee has urged chief wildlife warden to seize the elephant immediately and send it to a rehabilitation centre as advised by CZA where the animal can receive extensive veterinary treatment and is housed in a natural and free-ranging environment with other female elephants and have scope for exhibiting natural behaviours.
"A case may be booked against the circus owner by both, the chief wildlife warden and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), for illegal possession of elephant under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act respectively," says the report.
Chief wildlife warden, SWH Naqvi, said he is yet to receive the report but if CZA has recommended then action will be taken. "We will seize the elephant and send it to a rescue centre," he told TOI.
On a complaint by BJP MP and animal rights activist, Maneka Gandhi, and PFA leader, Naresh Kadyan, an eight-member CZA committee had inspected and evaluated the Amar Circus in the city on June 25. The panel submitted its report on July 5.
The report says the circus owner does not possess any specific ownership certificate or legal procurement certificate for the elephant as per the claims.
"The circus owner has produced old document referring to three elephants which does not endorse or confirm legal ownership of Padma," the report says. The owner did not intimate the CZA about the death of two elephants, which died at Muzaffarpur in 2008 and Chhindwara in 2011, violating law.
The CZA has also recommended AWBI to recall and cancel any licences issued to circuses that use animals. It has urged AWBI to ban Amar Circus from any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals.
The committee urged the AWBI, Chennai, to issue necessary instructions to immediately stop performance of blind hippopotamus at the circus. It has recommended to send the hippo to lifetime care in consultation with CZA to a recognized zoo or rescue centre, immediately. However, currently, there are no rescue centres for hippos in India.
The committee members observed that there is not any legal document for none of the animals or birds to prove their acquisition or source or ownership or legal procurement.
The AWBI and CZA has been requested to take action against circus owner to shift all animals out and to other suitable facilities immediately, where appropriate housing facility can be provided to each bird and animal.
"Amar Circus does not have necessary infrastructure to maintain such animals and in their greed to use these animals and exploit them for commercial reasons, they are inflicting unnecessary cruelty upon these animals," the committee has submitted.
Hence, the committee has also recommended that all animals that are not covered by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and CZA guidelines, such as horses, camels, dogs, ducks and birds be immediately removed from the circus by the AWBI.
The committee consisted of deputy conservator, P K Mahajan, Kartick Satyanarayan, Suparna Baksi Ganguly, Dr A B Shrivastav, Ashish Goswami, B K Gupta, S N Kapoor and SDO Prakash Patil.
The step ahead
* Female elephant, Padma, with Amar circus may be sent to rehabilitation centre
* Circus face ban on any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals
* CZA recommends recall and cancellation of licences of circuses that use animals
* Lifetime care recommended for semi-blind hippopotamus at a recognized zoo or rescue centre
The committee has urged chief wildlife warden to seize the elephant immediately and send it to a rehabilitation centre as advised by CZA where the animal can receive extensive veterinary treatment and is housed in a natural and free-ranging environment with other female elephants and have scope for exhibiting natural behaviours.
"A case may be booked against the circus owner by both, the chief wildlife warden and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), for illegal possession of elephant under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act respectively," says the report.
Chief wildlife warden, SWH Naqvi, said he is yet to receive the report but if CZA has recommended then action will be taken. "We will seize the elephant and send it to a rescue centre," he told TOI.
On a complaint by BJP MP and animal rights activist, Maneka Gandhi, and PFA leader, Naresh Kadyan, an eight-member CZA committee had inspected and evaluated the Amar Circus in the city on June 25. The panel submitted its report on July 5.
The report says the circus owner does not possess any specific ownership certificate or legal procurement certificate for the elephant as per the claims.
"The circus owner has produced old document referring to three elephants which does not endorse or confirm legal ownership of Padma," the report says. The owner did not intimate the CZA about the death of two elephants, which died at Muzaffarpur in 2008 and Chhindwara in 2011, violating law.
The CZA has also recommended AWBI to recall and cancel any licences issued to circuses that use animals. It has urged AWBI to ban Amar Circus from any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals.
The committee urged the AWBI, Chennai, to issue necessary instructions to immediately stop performance of blind hippopotamus at the circus. It has recommended to send the hippo to lifetime care in consultation with CZA to a recognized zoo or rescue centre, immediately. However, currently, there are no rescue centres for hippos in India.
The committee members observed that there is not any legal document for none of the animals or birds to prove their acquisition or source or ownership or legal procurement.
The AWBI and CZA has been requested to take action against circus owner to shift all animals out and to other suitable facilities immediately, where appropriate housing facility can be provided to each bird and animal.
"Amar Circus does not have necessary infrastructure to maintain such animals and in their greed to use these animals and exploit them for commercial reasons, they are inflicting unnecessary cruelty upon these animals," the committee has submitted.
Hence, the committee has also recommended that all animals that are not covered by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and CZA guidelines, such as horses, camels, dogs, ducks and birds be immediately removed from the circus by the AWBI.
The committee consisted of deputy conservator, P K Mahajan, Kartick Satyanarayan, Suparna Baksi Ganguly, Dr A B Shrivastav, Ashish Goswami, B K Gupta, S N Kapoor and SDO Prakash Patil.
The step ahead
* Female elephant, Padma, with Amar circus may be sent to rehabilitation centre
* Circus face ban on any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals
* CZA recommends recall and cancellation of licences of circuses that use animals
* Lifetime care recommended for semi-blind hippopotamus at a recognized zoo or rescue centre
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