19 February,2011 06:51 AM IST | | Rinkita Gurav
Constant pecking by crows leave deer and other animals wounded, making officials position human scarecrows
The Byculla Zoo might be gearing up for renovations so that the public can have a better view of the animals, but the animals have been battling with a problem of their own.
Staffers claim that flocks of crows constantly peck and harass the animals.
Even after positioning scarecrows, the deer are still pecked at by crows
The zoo officials, after much thinking, did come up with a solution. They have positioned workers at cages throughout the day to act as human scarecrows and shoo the birds away.
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But even that isn't helping much.
MiD DAY visited the zoo and observed crows pecking the deer and emus and persistent efforts to shoo them away were unsuccessful.
A worker-cum keeper of the deer cage said, "We are deployed here to keep an eye on the animals from 11 am to 7 pm. But before we arrive, crows are already sitting on the backs of the deer and pecking them."
He further added that spotted deer have soft hides and the wounds they sustain from the constant pecking remain open even though veterinarians on the premises apply medication.
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This scarecrow ploy works on animals that are caged, but the Sambhar deer share their open enclosure with alligators and crocodiles and are easy targets for these blood-sucking birds, since it is unsafe to place a worker inside to scare the birds away.
Dr Sanjay Tripathi, deputy superintendent of the zoo, said, "The crows flock to the zoo because it is the only green patch in the area.
It also serves as a nesting site and offers an abundance of food. The dumping sites bordering the zoo attract them all the more." He added that the crows cannot penetrate the skin of the black bucks and barking deer since they move around constantly, but the spotted deer and Sambhar are deeply affected.
Zoo director Anil Anjankar said, "Some animals share a symbiotic relationship wherein the birds eat ticks and other parasites that live on the animals' bodies without causing the animals any harm.
Only some animals are susceptible to attack and open wounds, which are examined and treated by doctors at the zoo."
Animal activists say
Poorva Joshipura, Chief Functionary, PeTA India, said, "Unlike in their wild habitat where they have room to move around, caged animals are more vulnerable to such attacks since they cannot escape or hide in the foliage. Animals should be allowed to live in the wild."
Ek Cutting!
Sassoon's legacy
The gardens were originally the property of the wealthy Jewish businessman David Sassoon. He also built the Victoria and Albert Museum, designed by architects from London and the style of the structure on the inside is similar to the Magen David synagogue of Byculla. Sassoon also built the Victoria clock tower.
He ultimately donated the entire property, where the zoo and gardens stand today, to the municipal corporation.
Animals vanishing
Some species of animals that had been the main attraction are no longer in the zoo. Some were shifted while others succumbed to old age. Chimpanzees, kangaroos, tigers and lions are not in the Byculla Zoo anymore. Officials said that the zoo seems incomplete without all the animals.
BMC's Standing Committee Chairperson, Rahul Shewale said, "The new design would allow accommodating more animals like penguins, giraffes, kangaroos, monkeys, tigers and lions."
