The Hindu : Zoo to step up safety measures

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Zoo to step up safety measures

By G. Mahadevan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 9. Stunned by the killing of an animal keeper by a rhino on Monday evening, the zoo authorities are considering revising the guidelines for keeper-animal interaction.

Animal keeper, Vijayakumar Ganagan, was gored to death by Ramu the oldest male rhino at the zoo, when he had gone to feed it.

Though this is the first time that a keeper is being killed in this fashion, there have been numerous instances where animal keepers have been injured, at times badly, by various animals in their charge. Recently, a keeper was bitten badly by a lion- tailed macaque, while another was clawed by a charging tiger cub. Yet another keeper escaped by a whisker, an attack by a jaguar that was brought recently to the zoo.

It has been pointed out that animal keepers, through their constant interaction with the animals, tend to form a personal relationship with the animals. Most of the time, the animals too respond to their commands in a positive manner. However, as Monday's incident proved, it only takes a moment for things to go horribly wrong.

The zoo director C. S. Yelakki told The Hindu that he would be talking to all the keepers, asking them to be more vigilant in their interactions with the animals. As far as possible, two keepers would be asked to be present during feed disbursal, with the animal a safe distance away. ``The zoo cannot afford to lose keepers like this. Whatever be the outward behaviour of an animal, the truth is they are all wild animals, programmed for aggression. If given an opportunity, they will attack; even if it is the person who lovingly gives them food day in and day out,'' he said.

However, it is also pointed out that in many enclosures at the zoo - including the deer enclosure, the giraffe enclosure -the keepers have to go very near the animals, while giving them their feed. In zoos abroad, the standard practice is to deposit the feed in a kraal or an small cubicle and then let the animal into that area. Feeding an animal directly is something that is almost never done in such zoos.

Incidentally, it was because of the maintenance work in the rhino-kraal that keeper Vijayakumar was forced to feed the animal directly. Moreover, the keepers at the city zoo are not equipped with any security device, such as batons, flares or noise-guns, to keep an animal at bay.

The integrity of some of the enclosures at the zoo has also come under a cloud, following the escape of a spotted deer from the elephant enclosure last week. The deer made it to the zoo's ticket counter, before it was chased back into its enclosure. Sources in the zoo say that in spite of prevailing precautions, stray dogs are once again making their way inside the zoo.

The zoo did not open for visitors this morning, even as the staff paid their last respects to keeper Vijayakumar. Top officials of the zoo will meet in the coming days to conduct a review of existing safety measures, Mr. Yelakki said.

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