Zoos in India : Pitiful Prisons

This bear has gone mad, reaching out with his paws and gnawing at the bars.

Most of us have visited zoos in our lives. We just went around,watched the animals and had a good day out. “Yes, we know that animals are better off in the wild. But where else do we get to see these amazing creatures at such close proximity ? Our kids would want to see the different animals , that they have only seen in their books. Besides they seem well looked after. Looks like they have food and water and a place to live. Now, isn’t that enough ? They have probably gotten used to being in an enclosure . No harm in us having a look at them in zoos". Havent we all thought this way, while visiting a zoo.Sometimes to our naked eye things may seem fine in some of the bigger zoos, when in reality they are not. That is because we are no animal experts , we don’t have the knowledge about the animal behavioural psychology, animal biological sciences or ethology to know whats wrong and the sad thing is ,neither do the zoo keepers.

So its time to get our facts straight about zoos in India .

No budgets :
They run on tight budgets, leading to food-shortage for animals.Not having enough money to operate, results in atrocious conditions and numerous deaths. Some cases:

• Nandankanan Zoo, Bhubaneshwar: In 1998, because the zoo failed to make payments on the electricity bill, the power was shut off. The situation became critical for the animals, whose only source of water in the extreme heat was electric pumps.


• Prince of Wales Zoological Garden, Lucknow: Within five months (from December 1999 to April 2000), 23 animals died. The zoo director blamed several factors, including a financial crunch.


• The Padmaja Naidu Zoo: In 2000, five tigers, six snow leopards, 16 Himalayan wolves and 10 leopards nearly starved to death because, according to the food supplier, the zoo was three months behind on payments.

Unnatural and Miserable Lives
Zoos restrict natural behaviours of the animals, such as flying, swimming, running, hunting, climbing, scavenging, foraging, exploring, and partner selection. Research carried out by scientists show that animals are psychologically affected by the lack of space and the constant intrusion of people. The miserable living conditions and the lack of privacy often lead to animals indulging in abnormal behaviour known as 'zoochosis'. They bang their heads against the wall, bite cage bars and even bite their own limbs! Some animals like the big cats simply go insane from boredom. The physically and mentally frustrated animals spend much of their time pacing, walking in tight circles, swaying or rolling their heads, pulling out their hair and feathers and self-mutilation

• In 1999, Lalita, a lion being kept at the Heera Golden Zoo, resorted to licking herself all day long out of sheer boredom. After she was seized from the zoo, a veterinarian extracted two huge balls of hair that had led to a 5-foot block in her intestines.
  
  Imagine what confinement in a cage could do to a magnificent beast like the cheetah, which runs at 114 km per hour and roams an average area of 37 sq. km in the wild!

Education? No!
Although zoos claim to educate people and preserve species, they do neither. Instead they are teaching the wrong lesson—that it is acceptable to tear animals away from their
families and homes and put them on display for our amusement.Most zoo visitors usually spend only a few minutes or seconds at each display, seeking entertainment rather than education.. Most zoo enclosures are quite small, and labels provide little information .

Insensitive Visitors
Every zoo has a sign board about rules for visitors among which one prominent rule is not to tease or feed the animals.The zoo visiting public,who are not educated about the significance of these rules and they pay little heed to them. In many sad cases people deliberately antagonize a zoo animal to get it to “do something, throwing objects at the animals or poking them, often resulting in their deaths.

• At the Alipore Zoo in Calcutta some years ago, three endangered giant Al Debra tortoises were killed after visitors repeatedly pelted them with stones
• Few years ago, a hippopotamus had died after swallowing a shoe thrown at him at the Alipore Zoo
• Delhi Zoo, New Dehli: A bird died after his eye was poked out by an umbrella tip. Several other animals died after eating food containing razor blades that was tossed to them by visitors.
• In 1999, a hogdeer became the third animal to die from ingesting plastic bags discarded by zoo visitors.

Zoo Staff Shortage, Incompetence and Negligence
There are few or no security personnel to enforce the rules in the zoos .The zoo keepers are ignorant and unqualified . Zoos in India echo with examples of animal deaths caused due to sheer callousness. Consider this:

• At the Darjeeling Zoo, a snow leopard, an extremely endangered species hailing from the Himalayas, was made to stay out in heavy downpour . It contracted pneumonia and died.
• Jaipur Zoo: During a three-month period in 2000, 125 animals died.
• Chhatbir Zoo: Asia’s largest zoo has never had a veterinary hospital, not even one on-site veterinarian.
• Lucknow Zoo: In 1999, 53 animals died.
• Nandankanan Zoo, Bhubaneshwar: In 2000, in just two months, 13 tigers, three deer, a mongoose and one crocodile died.
• Delhi Zoological Park, New Delhi: There is only one veterinarian responsible for the health of more than 1,200 animals.
  These people do not have even the basic training in taking care of animals ... but they are there taking vital decisions.’ –Ashok Kumar, former vice president, Wildlife Protection Society of India, on managers of Indian zoos.

Zoos serve the people rather than the animals
"The cardinal principle of any modern zoo is to serve the needs of the creatures it exhibits. But zoos in India do just the opposite; they serve the needs of the visitors. While the lawns are manicured, the paths pebbled and the waiting areas equipped , the animals are housed in cramped, dingy enclosures" says Vijay Jung Thapa in his article in the Hindu.

Some Statistics

• Since July 2005, PETA investigators have visited over 30 zoos throughout India and found appalling neglect, decrepit facilities and animal suffering on a massive scale.
• The Indian Zoo Yearbook lists 230 recognised zoos with an estimated 65,000 animals belonging to at least 643 different species. Of these, only 15 are big zoos with some semblance of order. The others have been classified as medium and mini zoos, most running on paltry funds and in appalling conditions!!

What can we do

• Lets boycott zoos and other attractions that exploit animals and instead lets support the groups and the people labouring for these voiceless animals.
• Lets teach our children to respect all of Gods creation. Lets not give them the wrong message that its ok for the most powerful species (man) to do as he pleases the less powerful ones .
• Children can surely learn a lot more about our magnificient animal kingdom by watching the educational wildlife programmes on Channels like animal planet and the discovery than by looking at animals behind bars in zoos.

Sites to visit:
PETA Literature on zoos: http://petaliterature.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ENT120
PETA India : http://www.petaindia.com/zoos.html
PETA Kids : http://www.petaindiakids.com/wycd.html

Caring Consumer

Ever wondered if your shampoo has blinded a rabbit? Not many consumers are aware that multi-national cosmetic giants outsource grotesque animal torture to India because it’s less expensive here. Gandhi would’ve been repulsed, and so will anyone who learns what ‘testing’ involves.

Sample this eye-irritancy test for shampoo: “Laboratories use albino rabbits because they have large, sensitive eyes. Their eyelids are held open with clips while workers drip chemicals into their eyes. The rabbits are usually not given any pain killers - some rabbits break their backs as they struggle to escape the pain.

After placing the chemical in the rabbits’ eyes for the Draize test*, the testers write down the damage it causes, which includes swelling, burning, blistering, and blindness”. Glossy commercials for shinier hair or softer lips wouldn’t dare tell their consumers about the horror that takes place behind the scenes.

What’s the alternative?

“Alternatives to animal testing include cell cultures (just a collection of tiny cells, not a whole animal). They’re cheaper and produce faster, more accurate results than animal tests, which means they’re safer for people too. Companies can also use ingredients or combinations of ingredients that have already been proven harmless, or use natural ingredients,” says PETA.
Look for the rabbit Check the labels of all cosmetics and detergents you buy – some will have a ‘rabbit’ sign that says ‘not tested on animals’. Some cruelty-free companies are yet to adopt the ‘rabbit’ symbol.

*The Draize Test is an acute toxicity test devised in 1944 by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) toxicologist John H. Draize. Initially used for testing cosmetics, the procedure involves applying 0.5mL or 0.5g of a test substance to the eye or skin of a restrained, conscious animal, and leaving it for four hours.The animals are observed for up to 14 days, for signs of erythema and edema in the skin test, and redness, swelling, discharge, ulceration, hemorrhaging, cloudiness, or blindness in the tested eye. The test subject is commonly an albino rabbit, though other species are used too, including dogs.The animals are killed after testing.
Some companies that do test on Animals
Axe (Unilever)

Clean & Clear (Johnson & Johnson)
Cover Girl

Close-up (Church & Dwight)
Colgate-Palmolive Co.

Dove (Unilever)

Garnier (L'Oreal)

Gillette Co.(Procter & Gamble)

Head & Shoulders (Procter & Gamble)

Johnson & Johnson
L'Oreal USA
Lakme(Hindustan lever )

Lancôme (L'Oreal)
Listerine (Johnson & Johnson)

Lubriderm (Johnson & Johnson)

Lux (Unilever)

Max Factor (Procter & Gamble)

Maybelline (L'Oreal)

Neutrogena (Johnson & Johnson)
Olay (Procter & Gamble)
Old Spice (Procter & Gamble)
Palmolive (Colgate-Palmolive Co.)

Pampers (Procter & Gamble)

Pantene (Procter & Gamble)

Ponds (Unilever)

Procter & Gamble

Sunsilk (Unilever)

Tide (Procter & Gamble)

Unilever Vaseline (Unilever)

Veet (Reckitt Benckiser)

Wet Ones (Playtex Products)
Some Companies that do not test on animals

Estee lauder
Oriflame
Revlon
Himalayas
Bodyshop
Foreverliving products
Lotus Herbals Ltd.
Biotique
Fabindia

Nike (deodrant) etc
Himalaya Products are cool :
I find the himalaya products really good , also we need not feel guilty about hurting animals for our personal care products. All their products are great, be it cosmetics,soaps, shampoos , toothpastes.. etc
Check out what the Himalays say about animal testing. I got it from their website.
Against Animal Testing:

Himalaya opposes animal testing. Cosmetic products should never be tested on animals. There is no way to justify pain for profit. The notion that a cream or lotion which makes us look and feel good, has been developed by testing on animals is sad and in this day of scientific progress, absolutely unacceptable. None of our cosmetic products are tested on animals and they never will be.We Respect Life. All life.
Isnt that a cool company ? They also follow some practices that are good for the environment and also support local communities. Check out the details, if you are interested at :
http://hgh.com.ky/about/whatwestandfor.htm
Sites to visit :

Check out www.caringconsumer.com for an exhaustive list of companies that do and don’t test (in downloadable pdf format).

You can also visit http://breakshearts.peta2.com/ , http://www.petakids.com/testing2.html

Beauty without cruelty India - http://www.bwcindia.org/
-Sandhya
(A part of this post is taken from an article published in the Ergo)

Corrs - Everybody Hurts

the youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flvuy5vC4vk

One of my favourite songs by the Corrs

When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,

When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go, 'cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along

When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)

If you feel like letting go, (hold on)

If you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends

Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand.

Oh, no. Don't throw your hand

If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,

When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,Everybody cries.

And everybody hurts sometimesAnd everybody hurts sometimes.

So, hold on, hold onHold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

Everybody hurts. You are not alone

He wastes nothing

Hey everyone,
I chanced upon this article from Ergo , June 24th 2009 edition. I thought its a must share . I think we all have to learn from Dakshinamoorthy how to waste nothing ! Heres the article...
- Sandhya

Have you ever seen the dogs on your street jump up, wag their tails in excitement and run to hug the litter collector who works in your area? I have. Dakshinamoorthy is the Sembakkam Panchayat’s litter collector whose routine is to feed all the community dogs every morning when he is on duty. He starts as early as 6.30 a.m.
We call him the pied piper of Rajakilpakkam. What’s heart warming about his story is not just his popularity amongst the four-legged ones but the means he uses to do what he does. He never wastes any of the food or bread loaves collected from various houses or bakeries in our area.
Instead, he makes an effort to divide them into equal quantities and offer it to all the homeless dogs. He is a true champion of this cause and makes sure that he at least guarantees them one meal a day.
Even though I feed these dogs on the way to work and on my way back home, the tiny tots don’t even give me a second glance if Dakshinamoorthy is around. The ever-smiling man often tells me proudly that “they have all eaten”. I can sense the exuberance and satisfaction he feels when he says those words.
We are told that charity begins at home and Dakshinamoorthy is our live example, doing whatever he is capable of, his financial status notwithstanding. I draw inspiration from his choices. Offering even a handful of food to a cat, dog or a crow is a process so rewarding that it’s hard to describe. After all, helping animals is a way to stay close to God.
Compiled by Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy. mahaaparthasarathy@gmail.com

Brimming with ideas

Hi everyone,
During my college days, in my final year, i attended a graduation ceremony in our college auditorium, the nostalgic Vivek Audi. Prizes were being given out to the gold medalists and to other achievers(Ofcourse I wasn't one of them :) , i had gone there for a friend ). I was getting myself prepared for a boring programme with the usual long speeches, but when the chief guest was introduced and he started talking i sat upright with interest .I could instantly realize what a great man he is and i found his witty, rambling talk laced with sarcastic humour so very engaging, i didnt miss a word of it . I was thrilled that a speaker in our college auditorium was speaking about animal welfare, and he has also done so much in the field. He was Prof.N.S .Ramaswamy , the founder-director of IIM-B. Read on to know about him, from this recent article in the Metroplus, Banagalore.
-- Sandhya


Professor N.S. Ramaswamy, who has left all his wealth to his village, is the founder-director of IIM, Bangalore. Apart from management, several social issues are close to his heart .

There are so many distinct sides to Professor N. S. Ramaswamy. The thoughtful, brilliant thinker, the Bhishmacharya of the Management movement in the country, a strong campaigner for animal welfare, teacher, consultant, adviser to various NGOs, governmental, educational institutions, an earnest, selfless, concerned citizen, a man with rock-like values, on one side. On the other there is the simple, jocular, kind man, with a sharp sense of humour and a positive attitude to life.
Talk to him, and you understand that each of the versions he represents is authentic and irrepressible, one never too far removed from the other. The Padma Bhushan awardee, has so many portfolios attached to his name that he has a four-page printed bio-data given as a hand out. That’s his visiting card to his pioneering contributions in various walks of life.

Modernisation
Ramaswamy, the founder-director of IIM, Bangalore, was the first to take management science to sectors other than business such as transport, power, rural development etc. An affirmed vegetarian, he prepared reports on modernisation of the meat sector, which would eliminate pollution, wastage and animal suffering, increasing productivity and production of hygienic meat. The first president of the Computer Society of India, he campaigned fiercely for improving agricultural implements and bullock carts.
As Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India, he brought economics, technology and management into the movement. He felt that mere sentiment and worship did not help animals.
Even at 84, his energy levels are high, his memory crystal clear. He can reel off names and figures, crack jokes in between, but always gets back to the point of discussion. What is intriguing is that despite being from a management background, Ramaswamy’s inclination towards the social sector is very strong.
His pioneering work on the importance of upgrading The Draught Animal Power (DAP) used for ploughing and carting all over the world, his passion for animal welfare earned him the name ‘Cartman.’ Taking a cue from this Ramaswamy started the Centre for Action, Research & Technology for Man, Animal & Nature, Bangalore (CARTMAN).

Animal-friendly
“The idea is to maintain the symbiotic relationship between man, animal and nature. Apart from the research, field studies and campaigns we have a garden with 300 varieties of plant species, kennel service for dogs, a veterinary clinic, promotion of vegetarianism and lots more.”
He also started the Indian Heritage Academy that focuses on cultural and spiritual revival.
“We organise programmes and regular classes in music, dance, yoga, meditation, lectures in philosophy and culture, among so many other related activities. We believe that it is our duty to spread India’s ancient thought and wisdom in order to save mankind from further degeneration of values and exploitation of animals and nature.”

Multidimensional
Prof. Ramaswamy is a multidimensional person who combines in him pragmatism at the materialistic level and philosophy at the spiritual level.
He believes that India is a unique nation, which can show the world the relevance of spirituality to bring in progress and peace.
One out-of-the-box proposal he put forward to the government that “got the approval of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi” and would have been implemented “had it not been for a quirk of fate,” was splitting 10 large States into 30 smaller units and new electoral reforms where parties would be voted to power instead of individuals.

Nostalgic
There would be de-bureaucratisation and decentralisation of development to the State.
“The linguistic-State blunder can be rectified with the creation of smaller, easily-manageable States, where development will be decentralised. There will be a more equitable distribution of resources, of leaders. It will end the clout of small regional parties and will enable the prominent parties to choose their representatives to the Parliament.”
But he is still nostalgic about his childhood days in Puttur (Thrissur district) where he spent hours diving, swimming in the temple pond, his days at Maharaja’s College, and memories of his handsome father, who was a much-respected police-officer.
In fact, he has bequeathed his entire wealth to his village.
“I’m also deeply concerned about Kerala. There is no place in Kerala for industrial expansion, there is also large-scale educated unemployment. One area that can be developed is tourism. Not the conventional one, but focussing on health, education and culture. With an investment of Rs 1 crore you can generate employment for 100-1,000 people. With festivals, ‘melams,’ rich tradition in art, literature and music, cultural tourism offers a lot of scope. There is need for community colleges, vocationalisation of education. With better educational institutions and hospitals you will win new friends.”

Projects
There are so many projects that Ramaswamy believes can “save the country.” But he has his apprehensions.
“I have written so many articles, presented full-fledged reports to all concerned, spoken to those who matter. Like Ved Vyasa who after writing the ‘Mahabharatha’ lamented that he was not sure if anyone would read it, I’m not sure if people really take me seriously,” says Ramaswamy with a meaningful smile.
K. PRADEEP

-MetroPlus ,Bangalore
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009

When you thought i wasn't looking !

Because many people liked this forward, im posting it on my blog.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

It’s a dog’s life

Hey everyone ,
This is a News article published recently in the Chennai Metroplus. I know its long , for quick reading just follow the italicized lines.

The legend of Zorro could have ended very differently. After all, unlike his caped vigilante namesake, Doggie Zorro wasn’t discovered fending off bad guys with a deadly sword. (In fact, if he had actually met any bad guys, his first instinct wo uld probably have been to lovingly chew their shoelaces.)
This frightened black Labrador was found sitting sadly on a pavement at Rutland Gate last week. Fortunately for him, Rina Raymond, who was driving past, took him home. He was covered with ticks, undernourished and terrified of traffic, but clearly a beautiful, one-year-old. The next day Rina and her friend Menaka Gulvadi walked him around Rutland Gate, hoping he would be able recognise his home. He couldn’t. By day three, the girls had set up a ‘Find Black Boy a Home’ Facebook group. Almost a 100 people joined. Some offered to adopt the dog.
Menaka decided to keep him in the end, and he was named Zorro.
Zorro’s currently joyfully galloping around her house, cuddling up to visitors and gently playing with Menaka’s four-year-old niece (pilfering her toys sneakily in the process). Meanwhile, Rina is working on making the Facebook group a permanent resource for finding homes for abandoned dogs.
For, Zorro is just one of many pets that end up on the street. He got lucky. Other dogs, most pure-breds (commonly referred to as pedigrees), dumped like this end up getting hit by traffic, attacked by other dogs or starving.
“I have seen people throwing a Great Dane out of a Tata Sumo and driving away,” says C. Padmavathy, managing trustee, Animal Welfare Protection Trust, discussing the alarming trend of abandoning pets, which seems to have increased over the past few months. “We have picked up so many dogs from outside the airport — a golden retriever, a terrier…” she adds, talking of how people callously leave the dogs in the traffic before moving out of the city.

Manifold excuses
The excuses are manifold. Relocating from houses to apartments, which don’t allow pets. Dogs falling ill, and owners don’t know how to deal with it. Worst of all, owners simply changing their minds.
Now, people who bought pedigree dogs (costing up to Rs. 75,000) on a whim, are abandoning them saying they’re expensive to maintain in these times of recession. “They say it’s because of the down turn — as if they needed an excuse,” says Dr. Chinny Krishna, chairman, Blue Cross of India, adding that as these dogs are often bought as status symbols, they’re traded in as easily as a car that’s gone out of fashion. (Think of the Vodaphone pug.) What’s worse is they usually buy from illegal breeders. “They run what are essentially puppy mills,” says Dr. Krishna, “It’s all for cash. The inbreeding is so high, the animals are treated like factories.”
It’s almost always the pedigrees that are abandoned. “Anyone who takes a street dog already knows what he wants,” says Anuradha Sawhney, chief functionary of PETA India. “Pedigrees are a whim. A birthday or Christmas gift.” They’re bought like toys for children… She adds, “People don’t realise that a child grows up. A dog stays a child till the rest of its life.”
Sawhney says she’s seen pets being abandoned startlingly often. “As I’m driving by, I see a dog running desperately in one direction, chasing the car that dropped him off.” She adds that they’re usually dazed, bewildered and terrified. What’s makes this abandonment all the more heartless is the fact that these are often dogs that have lived for years with a family, as part of the family.

Unable to survive
Unlike street savvy mongrels, they are unable to survive on their own. Sawhney says, “If let loose, they’re the first to get hit by cars. They don’t realise that street dogs have territories, and they get attacked. They’re used to food coming to them, and can’t scavenge. And they don’t know how to drink water from a ditch.”
However, no matter how bewildered they are, Padmavathi says she’s found that they always affectionate towards their rescuers. “They seem to have a sixth sense and realise we’re trying to help... so they are calm. They co operate.” And if they’re lucky — like Zorro — they find new families to fit into, look after and love with unbeatable gratitude.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Don’t buy a dog. This will discourage illegal breeders. Besides, you wouldn’t buy a friend, would you?
  
• Get a puppy only if you’re ready to take care of it. With the great joy they bring comes great responsibility.
  
• To adopt an abandoned dog call Blue Cross on weekdays (Monday-Saturday)
  during office hours at 2250 1399 or 2250 1839. Or email mailto:bluecrossofindia@gmail.com at any time for details.
  
• You can also call The Animal Welfare and Protection at Trust 22781381 or 99629-68265 to find homes for homeless pets.

- Courtesy 'The Hindu ' Metroplus Chennai

June 22nd ,2009