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| Dipak Singh at his office in Ranchi. Picture by Arun Kumar Thakur |
Dipak Singh, the director of the Birsa Zoological Gardens, has, in the past few weeks, experienced nothing less than personal tragdy. Reason: a litany of animals has died in the zoo within a short span of time.
The 350-odd creatures in the zoo, the director says, are like his children, ?some obedient and some otherwise?. No wonder that despite the mishaps, Singh is considered to be one of the ablest ringmasters to steer the zoo through thick and thin.
His experience is no less enviable. Having bagged a master?s degree in agriculture from the Birsa Agricultural University, this 1986 batch Indian Forest Service officer has already served as the joint director of the ministry of agriculture for six years. Besides, he has also been a part of the administration in two sanctuaries ? Bheem Bandh and Palkot.
One of his most scintillating assignments, however, was in the cyclone-ravaged Orissa, where he represented the ministry of agriculture after the state was lashed by nature?s wrath. In this candid tete-a-tete, Singh tells Arun Kumar Thakur his mission of making the Birsa zoo a ?perfect one? that follows all the provisions of the National Zoo Act, 1998?.
You have been here for more than a year? What is your assessment of the zoo?
Birsa zoo is fast moving ahead although I have to admit that a lot of work remains to be done. When it was set up in 1994, a zoo was seen as a centre for recreation. But there has been a paradigmatic shift in the concept after the National Zoo Act, 1998, came into existence.
How has the Act changed the way we look at a zoo?
Till 1994, a zoo was seen as a centre of recreation. But ever since the 1998 Act came into being, the zoo has become a centre for conservation and breeding. It also plays a role in educating and sensitising us towards wild animals, environment and the imperatives of ecological balance. A zoo these days is also expected to provide opportunities and clues to a scientific study of animals. We are taking Birsa Zoo towards that objective by attempting to forge a link between the scientists of Birsa Agricultural University and the zoo inmates.
How did the animals die recently? Was it because of contamination through meat?
They were infected with feline babesiosis. But it is not transmitted through meat. We are trying to find out how those animals were infected and once we reach a conclusion we shall plug those loopholes.
What is the procedure for procuring food for the zoo inmates?
We have a nutritional committee for deciding the nature of food to be given to each animal. Then once their feed is procured, all items ? except buffalo meat ? are periodically tested at the Livestock Research centre in Kanke. There are separate teams for procuring and receiving food. Each food item is weighed by these two teams, hence they can also cross-check the quantity of food purchased. This system is also working out well when it comes to streamlining the quality of food.
How can you say so with so much confidence?
I have proof to back it up. All animals in the zoo are in good health. Even when the member-secretary of the Cenral Zoo Authority visited the zoo after the death of the animals recently, he too commented that the animals were looking healthy. So my faith on this system of double-checking the quality and quantity of food is well justified.
You were talking about breeding and creating awareness about our wild animals as the new roles of a zoo. What is being done here in this regard?
As I said at the outset, Birsa zoo is fast developing. We have breeding programmes but we also keep in mind the genetic health of the animals. We have a library inside the zoo for awareness and education and we also carry an elaborate description of different species of wildlife on signboards across the zoo. We are also planning to rope in volunteers and NGOs to help us in our endeavour of sensitising men towards wildlife.
What problems do you face in the management of this zoo?
Everyone knows that the most important part of a zoo is its animals.We have to ensure proper sanitation facilites, cleanliness, hygeine and food supply for these animals, who matter most.We also have to protect these animals from being disturbed by the visitors who do not realise that even these animals need privacy and should be left on their own at times. We use barriers to prevent visitors from getting too close to animals.And then there is the food, and I have already explained how we procure it for these animals.
What about healthcare of these animals?
We have one hospital for the animals inside the zoo. We also have a pathology laboratory where we get their stool test done every three months. We have got a vaccination schedule, and we are likely to review it.
Are there any new projects in the zoo at present?
Last September we received the approval of the appropriate authorities for expanding the zoo, and the blueprint has already been prepared. It will be implemented in phases, one programme a year. There are also plans to train cage keepers. It is very important to train them as they have a pivotal role in maintaining the health of animals. We are shortly going to install a 63.5 KVA generator so that animals do not suffer for the want of electricity. And in a month?s time we are planning to set up a snake house, which will be one of the biggest in north India. We have also sent a proposal for a rescue centre for animals to the Centre. If accepted it will be set up at Barwe, about 4 km from the zoo.