Supervisor suspended for theft of animal parts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a case of alleged stealing of leopard claws, hair of elephant tails and peacock feathers from the zoo, the Zoo Director has suspended a supervisor, pending an enquiry.

The suspension was ordered on Monday, following an enquiry into a complaint by some medical college students from Nagpur, who had reported to authorities two months back that a staff member at the zoo had tried to sell leopard claws to them.

However, Zoo director Elsy George said that it was not possible to remove body parts of animals and birds, as they are kept under strict supervision of higher officials.

The staff might have misled the students by trying to hand over something obtained from elsewhere. They could not have been original, she said.

George said Central Zoo Authority regulations stipulated that even corpses of animals dying at the zoo should be burnt in the presence of officials, including the Director. There was no chance of taking any parts from the bodies of animals, she said.

There had been reports saying visitors had managed to corner body parts of animals by bribing the zoo keepers. There were also charges that some middlemen were also involved.