Check inbreeding at zoo, says panel

LUCKNOW: After tragedy struck Lucknow Zoo and killed 20 blackbucks, the consultative committee meant to suggest ways to keep zoo wildlife in good health said inbreeding among zoo animals should be checked. The committee headed by PCCF, UP, JS Asthana directed regular checking of health and feed of the animals by the central pathology lab and nutrition lab of the animal husbandry department.

Among the major directions of the committee were transfer of the surplus deer population from Lucknow and Kanpur zoo to protected forests, sending a proposal on swamp deer breeding centre to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and constituting a board of veterinarians and experts in times of crisis.

The committee also said that zoo manual plan should be reviewed to incorporate guidelines on sanitisation, vaccination, deworming, waste disposal and prevention of medicines. The committee has also decided to meet regularly every three months.