Over 40 tigers died in various zoos in India in 2015-16: Government

NEW DELHI: Over 40 tigers have died in various zoos across the country in 2015-16 while eight wild cats have died in the current financial year, the government has said.

"45 tigers have died in zoos during 2015-16," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply in Lok Sabha, adding that eight tigers have died in 2016-17 till December 1 this year.

Anil Madhav Dave said that the Central Zoo Authority has issued directives to all recognized zoos in the country which have suggested health monitoring protocol for zoos.

The directives also include monitoring of hygiene and incidence of blood-borne diseases in zoos, supply of quality feed to zoo animals and population control measures for lions, tigers and common ungulates.

ZCA in association with Indian Veterinary Research Institute Bareilly and Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Chennai has published protocols and books captive wild animals which include standardisation of animal diets in Indian zoos, standards, guidelines and protocol of disease diagnosis and care of wild animals in Indian zoos and colour atlas on parasites of captive and animals, he said.