Target: India’s Supreme Court
Goal: Increase security for animals in India’s zoos to prevent poachers from harming them
The idea of a zoo has always been controversial. Removing animals from their natural habitat and penning them up inside walls of stone and metal bars is not always humane. In addition to the not-so-recent predicament zoos have faced for their intolerable housing and ill-treatment of animals, they are now threatened by poachers. In the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India, one tiger was brutally mutilated by poachers seeking the animal’s teeth, bones, and fur coat. The incident is disgusting, and sadly it is not the first of its kind.
In the past, animals (specifically exotic mammals) have been poisoned and attacked in various ways because zoo security was insufficient to ward off poachers. The disgusting desire for animal parts plagues the world, but India is infamous for poachers that target tigers. In the past century, tiger numbers have dropped from over 100,000 to under 2,000 as reported from a 2011 census. At this rate, tigers will be extinct in only a few years, and India’s government is not doing enough to stop this tragedy.
To be sure, they have made significant improvements to wildlife protection, enacting a ban on tourism in “core zones” of the country’s tiger reservations and providing an added six mile buffer zone to the habitats. This step in the right direction has led to a general decrease in tiger deaths and an improved living environment. Still, more must be done to protect the animals that are not free to roam the open land but are instead penned inside a zoo. If animals are to be cooped up like this, they should at least be given maximum security.
In the case of the recently murdered cat from Arunachal Pradesh, it was found that poachers were able to enter the “high security zoo” while the security guards were on a dinner break. The tiger habitat was left completely unprotected, and the poachers entered the enclosure of the six-year old tigress, tranquilized her, and cut her into six pieces. Security returned to find this graphic display just in time to prevent the poachers from carrying away the animal’s remains, but much too late to save her life.
If India’s government insists on keeping these endangered creatures in public zoos, they must do so responsibly. It is no secret that poachers are after tigers to sell their parts for money, and they will do almost anything to get what they want. This must be stopped. Tell the Supreme Court in India that zoo protection must be increased or else tigers must no longer be kept in zoos where their lives are in danger every day.
Dear Supreme Court of India,
I urge you to increase protection for tigers in local zoos. These precious animals are like fish in a bowl next to hungry cats. A countless number of animals have been harmed or killed by poachers that wish to sell their teeth, bones, fur coats, and other parts for money. This is unacceptable, and security must be increased to protect them or else your government is allowing innocent animals to be slain at the hands of poachers.
Recently, a tiger was mutilated in Arunachal Pradesh because security guards were taking a break for dinner. The zoo’s animals should never be left unguarded like this, and intruders should not be able to penetrate the security system and enter animal enclosures so easily. In this case, the result was murder, and it will continue as long as you leave your zoos in such a vulnerable circumstance.
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: 3 News