The 100,000 square metre rescue centre at Bannerghatta Biological Park is home to 79 lions, four tigers, and a host of other rescued animals like bears, leopards and monkeys.
On the night of September 9th, the gates of the centre opened yet again to take in three more, exotic big cats. But the guests, who had travelled 2800 km by road to reach the park, were too stressed out to take in the huge difference in the environment of their new home as compared to where they had come from.
But the officials hope that the animals will recover soon and live to savour a life of freedom and dignity denied to them in the past. For the three, African hybrid lions had, till recently, been ‘property’ of the Prabhath circus at Ranchi. Since it is now illegal for circus companies to use big cats in their shows, the Jharkhand polise had seized the animals and transported them to Bannerghatta.
December 16, 1998, is remembered by animal lovers in India as a historic date when the Delhi High Court passed an order prohibiting exhibition of lions, tigers, leopards, bears and monkeys, in circus shows. It was vindication of the animal activists’ allegation that the training of circus animals was cruel, as harsh punishments were meted out to the animals to make them learn the tricks. The constant moves from town to town in cramped cages, also caused immense suffering to the animals.
But the jubilation was tinged with some concern. What would be the fate of the animals now? Since there was no money to be made using them, the circus managements were disinterested in feeding or tending the animals. The animals could not be released in the jungles as, after years of being captive, they were totally unfit to survive in the wild. Since most circus animals suffered from chronic health problems, regular zoos were reluctant to take them in.
After much deliberation, the wildlife board finalized its plans to rehabilitate the circus animals by creating appropriate facilities at the zoos that had the space.
Accordingly, the central zoo authority or the CZA established five rescue Centers at the following Zoos: Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam, Sri Venkateshwara Zoological Garden, Tirupathi, Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore, and Nahargarh Biological Park, Jaipur. The Prabhath circus lions were sent all the way from Ranchi to Bannerghatta because the BBP has the reputation of being the best among all the five!
The unique feature of the African hybrids is that their manes are larger compared to the other breeds. Unfortunately, visitors to the park will not get to see these animals. Animals rescued from circus behave very differently from the other caged or safari animals. Hence these are kept away in separate enclosures which are not open to public.
Let’s hope the retired animals, enjoy a long, peaceful spell in their final, vanaprasthashrama!
