The Hindu : Kerala News : Speaking up for wildlife conservation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 27, 2007
ePaper

Kerala

Kerala

Speaking up for wildlife conservation

Douglas Richardson

Douglas Richardson, curator, Zoology, Singapore Zoo, says that India could very well be self-sufficient in wildlife conservation.

Mr. Richardson, who hails from Scotland, has 32 years of experience working in zoos and with animals. He has worked as the curator of the London zoo and as the director of the zoo in Rome.

Mr. Richardson says that India and China are on a par with the U.S. and the European Union when it comes to technology. But both these countries depend on the West to fund their wildlife conservation efforts. Referring to the first commercial launch of a foreign satellite by the Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday, Mr. Richar dson says that if India can launch satellites, it can do we ll in wildlife conservation too.

India's efforts to conserve lions and rhinoceros are well-appreciated, Mr. Richardson says adding that there needs to be better effort for caring elephants in the country.

"Everybody has a soft spot for the elephant here. There is a belief that two times the circumference of an elephant foot (forefoot) is equal to its shoulder height. However, there is no data to prove this. I have come to Kerala to study this phenomenon," he says. Mr. Richardson feels that there are a lot of talented people in the zoos in the country. But the Government policy of transferring senior employees every three years should change.

When a new employee comes, he/she will need some time to get familiar with the animals in a zoo, he says.

Another impediment in wildlife conservation is the lack of enforcement of rules. "If poachers go unpunished, it will prove to be counterproductive," he says.

Mr. Richardson also has a word of praise for the Central Zoo Authority.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala