Experts call for improved emergency training in India following zoo death
by Tom Anstey | 03 Oct 2014
A 20-year-old man was mauled by a tiger last week at Delhi Zoo
Following the death of a 20-year-old-man in Delhi Zoo last week after he was mauled by a tiger, wildlife experts have called for India to re-evaluate the levels of training and preparedness that zoo staff nationwide get in handling emergency situations.
Delhi Zoo officials insist guidelines set by India’s Central Zoo Authority (CZA) are “scrupulously” followed and that staff at the attraction are always on alert, but wildlife experts say there is a major difference in attitude towards zoo keeping in the western world compared to India.
The difference between zoo keepers in the west and in India is that in the west, only qualified people can work in a position where they will directly interact with the animals. In India zookeepers and guards are often untrained and lack adequate emergency response systems and safety networks.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS and member of the Central Zoo Authority, called for India to set a new standard and hire only graduates as zoo keepers.
Banagalore-based animal welfare organisation Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) trustee and secretary Suparna Ganguly echoed the sentiment, stating that it’s time zoos changed their format of working and constitute committees from the cities where they are located, comprising of biologists, field scientists, welfare personnel and veterinarians.Ganguly then said the committee should be headed by a CZA designated expert for implementation of policy and guidelines.
Since last week’s death, Delhi Zoo has begun implementing mock drills for its guards, though security in Indian zoos is not as strong compared to its western counterparts in terms of old and dated facilities at a lot of sites and outsourced security not having zoo-specific training.
Delhi Zoo is currently undergoing a design overhaul in the run-up to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) conference, scheduled to take place in November.
Following the death of a 20-year-old-man in Delhi Zoo last week after he was mauled by a tiger, wildlife experts have called for India to re-evaluate the levels of training and preparedness that zoo staff nationwide get in handling emergency situations. Delhi Zoo officials insist guidelines set by India’s Central Zoo Authority (CZA) are “scrupulously” followed and that staff at the attraction are always on alert, but wildlife experts say
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