Dear Editor,
This refers to the unfortunate killing of a youth at the Delhi zoo by a white tiger in daylight, in full view of onlookers present at that time at the zoo. It has raised multiple questions with regard to the precautions taken by the zoo authorities to prevent such mishaps. Merely putting up a board of caution cannot dilute the responsibility of the zoo authorities. There must have been tall iron-grills around enclosures housing animals like tigers. The zoo attendants were not trained to handle crisis situations, and this was evident when they joined the onlookers in creating ruckus and making the tiger aggressive enough to attack the victim.
Rescue teams with tranquiliser-guns at the zoo could not utilise the crucial 10 to 15 minutes before the tiger mauled the youth. Lessons should now be taken from the horrible incident. Trained guards equipped with tranquiliser-guns, at least around tiger enclosures, should be deputed. Responsibility must be fixed on higher
authorities.
Madhu Aggarwal
Delhi
