Wildlife activists roar at display of leopard
Wildlife activists roar at display of leopard
Jul 9, 2012, 10.32PM IST
BALANGIR: A leopard that entered a toy shop in Sonepur last week has been shifted to Nandankanan zoo in Bhubaneswar, but wildlife activists have come down heavily on Subarnapur collector Gagan Swain for allowing public display of the animal immediately after its rescue.
Wildlife activists alleged that the collector arranged a public show of the leopard at his official residence in Sonepur.
The leopard, which was trapped in a fancy store for more than 36 hours, was brought in a cage to the collector's official residence on Friday and people allowed to have a close look at the animal.
Biswajit Mohanty, member of National Board for Wildlife and secretary, Wildlife Society of Odisha, alleged that the collector violated the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. "An animal trapped for 36 hours, rescued and then put on display is inexcusable. This attracts violation of Wildlife Protection Act," said Mohanty. He said the animal was tired, not in good health. It also amounts to teasing the animal, which is again in violation of the Act, he added.
He further said they would file a complaint with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). "We will lodge a complaint about this with NTCA. If the NTCA does not act, we will move court", said Mohanty.
Meanwhile, wildlife activist Ghasiram Panda said the animal, in the first place, should not have been trapped for more than 36 hours. "Leopard is a precious and endangered species. The district authorities must have the requisite expertise to tackle situations where endangered species are trapped. But sadly, a trapped animal after being rescued was displayed illegally", said Panda.
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