Plight of captive animals in Bangladesh National Zoo

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – The Bangladesh National Zoo in the capital Dhaka needs to upgrade the way it manages and conserves wildlife for its captive animals to make sure they are happy and healthy, according to officials and experts.

The zoo, located in the Mirpur section of Dhaka, was established on around 75.67 hectares (187 acres) of land and opened to visitors in 1974.

Displaying caged animals for people’s entertainment, the zoo is yet to attain global standards.

Several dozens of animals have grown old, surpassing their normal life expectancy with some facing several diseases, while many others have been living alone without a partner.

Supposed to be roaming free in their natural wild habitat, these animals, including lions, tigers, elephants, hippopotamuses, emus, vultures, crocodiles, pythons, and rhinoceroses, have been languishing in undersized cages with inadequate food, nutrition, and care.

The zoo's veterinary hospital also lacks proper infrastructure and manpower.

There are only three doctors for some 3,100 animals in the zoo, including a veterinary surgeon. Officials say they could not provide proper and immediate treatment to the animals due to the poor medical facilities and manpower shortage.

- Captive breeding

According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, 31 species of animals have been lost forever in Bangladesh in the last 100 years.

MA Aziz, a professor in the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, told Anadolu Agency that an open environment is crucial for animals' mental and physical health.

“Like a human, they also develop anxiety and mental issues when we keep them in captivity. Caged tigers and lions in the national zoo are examples. They are displaying stereotypical behavior because of being caged,” he added.

Aziz called for hiring experts to study animal behavior and provide zoo animals with a healthy environment. He also suggested increased captive breeding to save huge amounts of money spent on importing animals from foreign countries.

Raquibul Amin, Bangladesh’s country director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), advocated for the adoption of modern zoo concepts in the country, similar to those developed in London.

Captive breeding is widely practiced across the world, however, it is still in its early stages in Bangladesh, Amin maintained.

“A zoo is not only a place where animals are kept in cages for human entertainment, rather it provides a sound space for animal research, captive breeding, conservation of endangered animals, the study of animal behavior and survival techniques,” he added.

Eight animals, including lions, tigers, giraffes, wildebeests, and impalas, have died in this zoo since last October.

- Management issues

The higher management and the zoo’s regulatory body have been heavily criticized for not improving the situation.

Experts have often demanded the government transfer the administrative charge of zoos to the Forest Department instead of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

“Wild animals don't belong to a government department dealing with domestic animals,” Aziz said, adding that wildlife protection and conservation is a different field.

Director National Zoo Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukder, however, disagreed with the assertion of the expert.

He told Anadolu Agency there are separate expert teams responsible for preparing and examining nutritious foods for the zoo animals.

“We don’t exhibit animals that are physically ill or inappropriate for a zoo. Yes, some of the big animals expired on reaching their natural ages. We have brought some new animals, including a lion, to replace the old ones,” he added.

“We have got six new members, including tiger cubs, recently as a result of captive breeding. We have deer, hippopotamus, and peacock among others who took part in captive breeding, raising their number in the zoo,” he added, claiming that the zoo keeps a congenial environment for captive breeding.

Acknowledging the manpower shortage, he said some 12,000 people visit the national zoo daily, which does not have adequate manpower to ensure sound management.

“We have three veterinarians for the zoo, but we need more. We also need scientific officers as there are vacancies in different sub-departments,” the official added.

“The zoo will soon achieve global standard as the authority is preparing a Taka 15 million ($157,075) mega project for the modernization of the zoo,” said Talukder.