60 birds, animals seized from Panvel `zoo’

NOVEMBER 6: Eight hours after they descended on a resort at Panvel, wildlife officials today seized 60 endangered birds and animals that w...

NOVEMBER 6: Eight hours after they descended on a resort at Panvel, wildlife officials today seized 60 endangered birds and animals that were being held captive in a private and illegal zoo adjoining the premises. But it seems the prize catch, owner and hotelier S Mehta, had already slipped away. The raid, which began at noon, followed a tip-off by locals and constitutes one of the largest seizures of endangered fauna in the state. Among the animals and birds seized — most of them are listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — were four chinkaras (deer), two albino deer, one sambar, a rosella, peacock and a red ibis. Due to the sheer numbers involved, the authorities have kept the aminals in the zoo, which they have sealed.

The raid on Aaysuh Resort was conducted by a special squad headed by Regional Deputy Director (Wildlife Prevention) Shekhar Kumar Niraj (Union Ministry of Environment and Forests) after a tip-off was received from activists of the Bombay Environmental Action Group, a non-governmental organisation.

The officials believe that Mehta, who resides at Malabar Hill in Mumbai and has business interests in Europe, is away in Belgium. Niraj told Newsline that if convicted he could attract a maximum prison sentence of six years and a fine of Rs 25,000. He says Mehta had neither sought permission from the Central Zoo Authority, which is mandatory to keep fauna in captivity, nor had he received any clearance from the local authorities.

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Officials, who descended on the plush resort at around 12 noon, were amazed at the opulance of the 10 acre getaway. It includes two single storey structures and several bungalows. The zoo, which includes several enclosures for the aninmals and moats, is also an elaborate one-acre complex. There is even a maachan or watch-tower from where bird-watchers can soak in the panorama.

While some of the seized fauna are endemic to India, others were imported, Niraj says. Some had also been bred in capitivity. The four flamingoes, he says, were probably brought to Panvel from the Raan of Kutch.

Among the animals seized are sauras cranes (5), spotbill ducks (9), brahimini ducks (5), demoiselle cranes (5), a comb duck (nakta), red ibis (1), golden peasant (1), alexandrine parakeet (2), black crowned crane (1) and barheaded geese (7). An attendant at the resort, Prakash Palkar, told forest officials that most of the animals and birds were brought here in the last two years.

Shekar Mhatre, who looks after the zoo, says his employer had procured a no-objection certificate from the Central Zoo Authority, a claim denied by Niraj. Mhatre reveals that there were plans to expand the zoo and 20 acres of adjoining land had already been purchased.

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The officials say the presence of some of the fauna here is in violation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Says Niraj: “We have taken custody of the animals and birds. However, they will not be transfered till further notice.”

Today’s raids follow another one when wildlife officials had seized an endangered black buck, two deer and a peahen from Bollywood star Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan’s farmhouse at Panvel in 1998.