| Severe punishment unlikely for employees working in zoo for 20 years |
| Guwahati, Jan. 31: An internal inquiry probing how two tigers slipped out of their enclosure in the Assam State Zoo yesterday has found three employees — two from the veterinary department and an animal keeper — guilty. Animal keeper Rangeel Ali and veterinary department employees B. Appa Rao and Prabin Mikir were working in the tigers’ enclosure when the animals strolled out of a gate that had been mistakenly kept ajar and sent a wave of panic through the crowded zoo. The zoo authorities have issued showcause notices to the three. It is, however, unlikely that any severe action would be taken against them since all three “are dedicated employees” and have been serving in the zoo for more than 20 years. “All I can say is that to err is human. But at the same time, such incidents cannot be tolerated,” divisional forest officer, Assam State Zoo, Narayan Mahanta, said. He said he had already cautioned all the zoo employees that such incidents should not occur again. “We will hold an official meeting for all the employees tomorrow,” Mahanta said. Divya, the eight-year-old tigress and her 20-month-old cub appeared relaxed in their off-exhibition enclosure today, even as curious visitors thronged the zoo for a look at the two big cats. “Both the animals are relaxed. Both are taking food normally and have almost recovered from the shock and dizziness which they went through yesterday after being tranquillised,” Narayan Mahanta said. The duo were provided 4kg of meat around 7pm yesterday. Today they were provided 10kg, their normal diet. Padma Boro, who has been entrusted to keep guard near the particular enclosure to keep visitors away, said: “They basked in the sun almost the entire day and ate their food eagerly.” Boro, however, failed to understand why the two ferocious animals did not attack anyone when out in the open for nearly two hours. “Divya had already had a taste of human flesh, it is still hard to believe why the duo did not attack any visitor or one of us yesterday,” he said. Divya and her mate, Gobardhan, had mauled a visitor in the zoo in 2007 when he tried to click photographs by putting his hands inside the enclosure. |
| Severe punishment unlikely for employees working in zoo for 20 years |
| Guwahati, Jan. 31: An internal inquiry probing how two tigers slipped out of their enclosure in the Assam State Zoo yesterday has found three employees — two from the veterinary department and an animal keeper — guilty. Animal keeper Rangeel Ali and veterinary department employees B. Appa Rao and Prabin Mikir were working in the tigers’ enclosure when the animals strolled out of a gate that had been mistakenly kept ajar and sent a wave of panic through the crowded zoo. The zoo authorities have issued showcause notices to the three. It is, however, unlikely that any severe action would be taken against them since all three “are dedicated employees” and have been serving in the zoo for more than 20 years. “All I can say is that to err is human. But at the same time, such incidents cannot be tolerated,” divisional forest officer, Assam State Zoo, Narayan Mahanta, said. He said he had already cautioned all the zoo employees that such incidents should not occur again. “We will hold an official meeting for all the employees tomorrow,” Mahanta said. Divya, the eight-year-old tigress and her 20-month-old cub appeared relaxed in their off-exhibition enclosure today, even as curious visitors thronged the zoo for a look at the two big cats. “Both the animals are relaxed. Both are taking food normally and have almost recovered from the shock and dizziness which they went through yesterday after being tranquillised,” Narayan Mahanta said. The duo were provided 4kg of meat around 7pm yesterday. Today they were provided 10kg, their normal diet. Padma Boro, who has been entrusted to keep guard near the particular enclosure to keep visitors away, said: “They basked in the sun almost the entire day and ate their food eagerly.” Boro, however, failed to understand why the two ferocious animals did not attack anyone when out in the open for nearly two hours. “Divya had already had a taste of human flesh, it is still hard to believe why the duo did not attack any visitor or one of us yesterday,” he said. Divya and her mate, Gobardhan, had mauled a visitor in the zoo in 2007 when he tried to click photographs by putting his hands inside the enclosure. |
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