The Zambezi Society, a small team of Zimbabwean communicators, who have a passion for the Zambezi River, its wildlife and its wild places have evolved a code of conduct for tourists, who wish to explore wild areas. Their fundamental dictum is to respect the wild places and species since they have a right to existence and respect, along with humans. While many may love nature and seek to fathom it in closest proximity, whether for research, television or just to brag on Facebook, we have to maintain a sense of awe and inspiration and keep our distance.
The tragic incident of the 22 year old youth, who either accidentally fell or jumped into a tiger’s enclosure in the Delhi zoo, is a telling reminder, that the closer we get to wild animals, the greater the risk, not knowing how they will react. While six years ago, a lioness spared the life of an inebriated man, who entered its enclosure, the class XII student was not so lucky on tragic Tuesday, possibly due to the stone throwing and yelling by the ignorant crowd and zoo keepers.
This gory incident throws up several questions –why do we not have school sensitization programmes on how to respect and deal with animals? On animal behaviour, animal-human conflict over habitation and how to deal with emergencies, apart from the Math and Science, that schools us merely for jobs. Why did the Delhi Zoo not have tranquiliser and guns to restrain the animal, even as the tiger did not attack the youth between 5 and 15 minutes, as reports say? Whether there were wardens near the cages/enclosures of dangerous animals to caution, the sane and insane visitors, and to prevent routine cruelty of throwing stones and sticks at wild caged animals?
Why are there no quick response teams in most zoos or sanctuaries across India, where so many wild animals are kept in unnecessary captivity? And finally whether animals should be kept in captivity at all, for human pleasure, and what trauma wild animals undergo while mating, and surving in captivity?
Wild animals are a very critical part of the natural chain of existence and a huge outdoor classroom, with many exciting discoveries and lessons. Animals habitats such as sanctuaries and biodiversity hotspots are crucial to reduce global warming and natural disasters. So the wild animals are best appreciated in the wild. Except for research, or for helping the survival of endangered species, there are no reasons why animals should be kept in captivity. While Indian politicians drum up jingoistic slogans over issues of culture, no politician has ever challenged the British colonial legacy, made of “brave, virile decorated men in uniform, with handlebar moustaches, hunting down huge wild cats and then hanging them in their drawing rooms” and whether zoo culture is another colonial legacy, which was meant for the entertainment of the aristocracy.
Humans have an ethical responsibility to free animals from zoos. Humans, and in particular the Government of Goa, should evolve a code of conduct as humans encroach on forest areas by way of tourism, habitation or through development projects such as dams.
Closer home, Bondla zoo should have a quick response team with tranquilisers and guns, as also other zoos in India. In case a person’s life is at risk, there should be amendment to Wild Life Act to eliminate the animal, if required in extreme circumstances.
However, the most important exercise in a tourist State such as Goa is to sensitise both locals, tourists and those living in Western ghats regions to respect wild animals, what to take and not to take while entering forest areas or zoos, to avoid open exhibition of food stuff, to venture in such areas during daylight, drive slowly and keep to speed limits on jungle trails, prevent litter and urination in the open, avoid fires, follow instructions of wardens, avoid destruction of animal habitat and leave minimum ecological footprints as mandated by Zambezi Society.
Even the seasoned ‘crocodile hunter’ Steve Irwin, who stared the most dangerous of animals in the face and ‘knew’ so much about the wild, was done to death underwater in 2006, by an innocuous string ray, which unexpectedly stabbed him several times in the chest, when it was expected to swim away. This only makes us stand back in awe and believe we do not know enough and that respect is the best form of admiration of wild life.
