Abolish Zoos

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Maharashtra's agriculture minister enters into the zoo and pats a tiger. The poor tiger cub is frightened and retreats into a corner. This is what our zoos have become.

Please check the ndtv link for video and Times of India link for text.

http://www.ndtv.com/news/videos/vide...php?id=1145951

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/n...ow/4900347.cms

[Siddhartha Gogoi]

Hi Sabyasachi,

Without the shadow of doubt Zoo's have deviated from the original plan of breeding endangered animals and introducing them to the wilderness. Now it's more of a place for picnic and fun then using it as a learning tool. However going back to what I said I would also like to point out that it can be used as an educational tool for children to teach them about the lives of the wild animals and their habitats and also the genre of people who believe only in having fun in zoo's will not be travelling far and wide to disturb the real habitat with their nuisance. Notwithstanding the fact that it is of outmost importance to preserve the animals in a zoo and to uphold all the rules of the zoo without compromising which is easier said than done but the authorities cannot afford to take it lightly. Educating the visitors is also important as that will create mass awareness about the lives of the wild animals in their natural habitat and offering volunteering opportunities to anyone interested is also one aspect that can be looked upon. Regular school excursions to the Zoo's accompanied by a Naturalist and not just a Teacher will definitely have a lot of impact on the children and we cannot overlook the fact that today’s children are our future guardians of the Protected Areas. Inculcating the love for wildlife in children at this stage is as important as any other activities like anti poaching, fighting for wildlife causes and so on. More so for the children who live on the fringes of PA's and getting them to understand the significance of wildlife preservation should never be overlooked. My thoughts.

Regards,
Siddhartha