The transfer of two black panthers from Assam State Zoo in Guwahati to Reliance-owned Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom at Jamnahar in Gujarat has triggered a controversy ahead of Assembly elections slated in April.
Congress in Assam on Saturday demanded an inquiry questioning why the black panthers were "secretly" transferred without the knowledge of animal lovers and conservationists in the state.
"It seems that even wild animals kept in captivity in zoos cannot escape from the tentacles of big corporate houses, as the recent ‘hush- hush’ transfer of two black panthers from the State Zoo in Guwahati to a zoo in Gujarat being set up by the Reliance group of the Ambanis has proved," Congress leader Bobbeeta Sharma said.
Divisional forest officer, Assam State Zoo, Tejas Mariswamy told DH on Saturday that the black panthers were sent to Jamnagar zoo in exchange of their help to bring four zebras from Israel. The same was done with approval of Central Zoo Authority, he said.
"Animal exchanges are an integral part of zoo management. Assam State Zoo, like other Zoos in the country frequently undertake animal exchange programs with various zoos in the country and with zoo outside the country," Mariswamy said.
But Sharma claimed that the letter produced by the forest official said that the animals were acquisitioned for the purpose of ‘display’. There is no mention of any exchange of animals in the letter addressed to the PCCF (Wildlife) of Assam, she said.
Demanding an inquiry, Sharma asked," "What was the official procedure followed? Can such transfer take place for 'display?' If they have been sent for 'display' are the black panthers being brought back to the zoo after 'display'? How can any such transfer take place during pandemic situation?"
Mariswamy said black pathers are sought by many zoos in the country as Assam State Zoo is the only zoo to have a breeding population of the animal.