Maharashtra minister calls for handing over injured wild animals to private zoos

Mumbai, Jun 3 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Ashish Jaiswal on Tuesday directed officials to hand over injured wild animals to private zoos for care and rehabilitation.

Interestingly, not a single private zoo is currently operating in the state.

The Minister of State for Finance and Planning was speaking during a meeting held to find a solution to the increasing instances of human-wildlife conflict.

The meeting chaired by Forest Minister Ganesh Naik at Mantralaya, was convened in response to growing concerns over wild animals entering human settlements and attacking people. Apart from Jaiswal, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MLA Parinay Fuke and senior forest officials attended the meeting.

During discussion, Jaiswal emphasised the need for urgent and long-term solutions to tackle recurring instances of human-wildlife conflicts.

The government should consider handing over injured wild animals to private zoos, if such facilities have been established, for proper treatment and care, he said, and proposed the idea of exploring the use of modern technology and expanding forest areas by acquiring open land near forests.

In April, forest minister Naik had announced plans to set up a private animal rescue and rehabilitation centre named Suryatara, modelled after Gujarat's Vantara facility. He had made the announcement in a public meeting held in Nagpur. If the project is implemented, it would become Maharashtra's first private wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre.

Bawankule issued a stern warning to government officials over their handling of the wildlife incidents.

"Any further negligence would not be tolerated and responsibility would be fixed on officials found lacking. Officials have shown lack of urgency despite earlier instructions. The financial support could be made available through the District Planning Fund if needed," he said.

Bawankule also stressed the need to adopt modern and effective technologies used globally to prevent such incidents. He said that while compensation is paid after a death, no amount of money can bring back a life.

He urged forest officials to explore acquiring land near forests and also to seriously consider the involvement of private zoos for managing injured wildlife, provided legal and ethical guidelines are followed.

Naik suggested developing grassland areas within forests to support wildlife in their natural habitats.

He also said that in the event of any person's death caused by a wild animal, a member of the deceased should be given a government job.

Other measures discussed included managing the growing tiger population by transferring some animals to other states, installing solar fencing around villages to prevent wild animal intrusion and alerting villagers about wildlife movement using technology.

The proposal to engage private entities in wildlife care has drawn mixed reactions, with some conservationists welcoming the support and others calling for strict oversight and regulatory mechanisms before implementation. PTI ND NP