Good Morning India:Good Luck, Omar Abdullah

Media Pulse

THE 60-odd big cats in the Nandankanan zoological park on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar must be wondering about the change in their diet in recent weeks. Thanks to the hue-and-cry over the non-enforcement of the ban on cow slaughter, and the subsequent arrest of a meat supplier to the zoo, the animals have been deprived of their daily quota of beef. Whether the new menu comprising mutton and chicken is palatable is not known, but they will have to survive on it until alternate feed arrangements are made.

Trouble began on June 5 when members of the National Commission on Cattle, led by its acting Chairman Justice Guman Mal Lodha, paid a surprise visit to a slaughter house located near Khandagiri, in the suburbs of Bhubaneshwar. Appalled by the
indiscriminate slaughtering of cattle, Justice Lodha staged a dharna for two hours. He withdrew his protest only when senior officials assured him that
stringent action would be taken against the culprits. Police swung into action and arrested four persons -
one authorised meat supplier and his three assistants. They also rescued 15 cows which were waiting to be
slaughtered.

Meanwhile zoo authorities were caught totally unaware and were unable to arrange sufficient alternative feed for the carnivorous animals. Most of the big cats remained underfed following the abrupt disruption in supply. Arrangements were made to
procure some amount of mutton and chicken from local sellers, but that was much below the daily requirement
of the zoo.

Justice Lodha, who was on a two-day visit to Orissa, found that the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act was being openly violated and that the State Government had taken little initiative for the enforcement of the Act. While speaking to media persons, he alleged that it had come to his notice that cow slaughter was rampant, and as many as 20 to 25 cows were being butchered everyday in Jadupur slaughter house. Out of that, about 800 to 1200 kg of meat was being supplied to Nandankanan, the rest was sold in the open market.

After meeting the Chief Minister and appraising him of the indiscriminate slaughtering, the Cattle
Commission held a public hearing at Cuttack. Suggestions were invited for strengthening cattle welfare activities in the State, and it was felt that the number of "ghosalas" (shelters for cattle) were inadequate. Incidentally, the national Animal Welfare Board provides grants to ghosalas which are mostly run by voluntary agencies and religious trusts.

It is common knowledge that old and unproductive cows and bullocks are generally sold off to butchers.
This practice has come under sharp criticism, bringing into focus the illegal cattle trade and clandestine
slaughter. Caught in the tussle between cow protection and erring butchers, zoo authorities are frantically searching for alternative ways to ensure that animals are properly fed.

The new menu is proving to be costly. Earlier, beef was being procured at Rs. 8 per kg and the daily
requirement of meat is about 650 kg. An adult carnivore consumes as much as 10 kg of meat. According to zoo officials, if one were to stick to
the present menu of chicken and mutton, the daily food cost of the zoo will sky-rocket to more than one lakh
rupees. Efforts are on to procure buffalo meat, which will cost about
Rs 20 - 25 per kg, almost four times the cost of beef. Tenders have been invited from suppliers of pork and buffalo meat.

According to a senior zoo official, zoos across the country provide a protein-rich diet to carnivores as
per requirement and availability. For instance, zoos situated in the hills
generally provide meat from goats, while those in the Terai depend on buffaloes. In Orissa, there are two factors that influence meat supply to Nandankanan. One, the large number of big cats calls for more meat in terms of quantity. Second, bulls are not slaughtered keeping in view the
religious sentiments of the people.

The food crisis prompted the Central Zoo Authority to send a notice that adequate care of the animals should be taken, without any disruption in food supply. (It is another matter that nature has endowed the predators with capability to withstand under-feeding for a few days.) As of now, the Government has agreed to bear the additional financial burden that has arisen due to this crisis. A proposal has been made by the Wildlife officials to amend the Cow Slaughter Act 1960, seeking exemption
for zoos. Although this proposal is expected to invite opposition from several quarters, zoo authorities feel that the State Government must come
up with a legal plan for providing beef for bonafide consumption. It has become a tricky situation for the Government. The Cow Slaughter Act is under scrutiny and it is well known that the basic provisions of the
law have not been enforced. Slaughter houses function without license from the municipality and there is no
procedure for certification before cattle are slaughtered.