The Alipore zoo does not have any tiger, lion or leopard, if a central government report is anything to go by. Thousands of visitors to the 151-year-old park will claim otherwise as they see these majestic creatures with their own eyes every day.
This glaring contradiction has been attributed to “gross administrative discrepancies” at the zoo, according to a PIL filed by a citizens’ collective. A Calcutta High Court bench is expected to hear the petition soon.
The forum alleges a difference of over 300 animals between the zoo’s inventory on the last day of 2023-24 and the first day of 2024-25, citing the “Annual Inventory of Animals in Zoos” report published by the Central Zoo Authority.
Members of Save Wild Animals of Zoo and Our Nature (Swazon) say this alleged mismatch is not an isolated error.
“The numbers just don’t add up, year after year,” said Swarnali Chatterjee, a member of the group.
“One of the most disconcerting gaps is in the number of endangered species like Bengal tigers, Asiatic lions, Indian elephants and Indian rhinoceros,” she added.
Tale in the numbers
Based on the allegations, Metro lists the declining animal population over nearly three decades:
- 1995-96: 363 mammals of 55 species, with 32 endangered species
- 2013-14: 161 mammals of 32 species, with 17 endangered species
- 2023-24: 129 mammals of 30 species, with 15 endangered species
- 2024-25: 88 mammals of 18 species, with no mention of any endangered species
The data reveals a 75 per cent decline in the mammal population and the complete disappearance of endangered species from official records.
Land sale controversy
The petition also seeks court intervention to stop the state government from selling zoo land that houses an animal hospital and aquarium, among other facilities.
In July 2024, this newspaper reported that the state government planned to
sell 254 cottahs (4.2 acres) opposite the main zoo entrance, apparently to generate revenue for welfare schemes.
At a news conference on Wednesday, forum members alleged that changing land use from public to commercial was illegal.
The controversy deepened with repeated changes to auction notices. An e-auction notice by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) dated May 23 this year invited bids for 166.50 cottahs on 34A, Belvedere Road, for “commercial use”. A July 10 notice cancelled the tender, only for another auction notice to appear on July 23.
“First, the cancellation and then re-issuing the e-auction notice smells of something fishy. The government must clarify,” said Mahalaya Chatterjee, an economics professor at Calcutta University’s Alipore campus and Swazon member.
A Hidco source explained the flip-flops: “First, it was decided that a portion of the entire plot will be sold. Then, the decision was changed, and we wanted to sell the entire plot at one go. That is why the earlier notice was cancelled. But following another rethink, it was decided to go back to the original plan and sell only a portion.”
Additional reporting by Pranesh Sarkar
