Agartala: The controversy around placing a lion named Akbar and a lioness named Sita in the same enclosure at Bengal Safari Zoo took the whole country by storm. Even a top IFS official from Tripura, accused of misleading the Tripura cabinet, was placed under suspension.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest RK Shyamal, second in command after the head of the forest staff in the Tripura Forest Department, has been tasked with looking after the disciplinary proceedings initiated against suspended Chief Wildlife Warden Pravin Lal Agarwal.
According to top sources in the Tripura Forest Department, the root of the whole controversy is a misplaced challan and a silly mistake in executing the animal exchange programme between Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoo and the Bengal Safari Zoo. The Central Zoo Authority had approved an animal exchange program between both zoos, due to whichm after five years, a pair of Royal Bengal tigers reached Sepahijala, and a pair of Tripura Zoo lions moved to West Bengal. There were also other animals relocated as per the agreement.
“In Tripura Zoo, there were many pairs of lions and the pair named Ram-Sita are the breeding pair. The zoo officials prepared Ram and Sita for the exchange program. During the relocation, it was the pair of Ram and Sita that was sent to Bengal Safari Zoo but the officials made a silly mistake while preparing the challan for the relocation. In place of Ram, the details of Akbar, another lion, was entered in the challan. Hence the pair was named Akbar and Sita in the records of Bengal Zoo. The matter came to the notice of the officials later and the forest department’s register was rectified. Officially, Akbar is still housed in the enclosure of Tripura Zoo,” an official informed EastMojo, requesting anonymity.
However, the Bengal zoo officials haven’t been informed about the mistake in the Challan which is why when the Bengal High Court asked the zoo authorities about the names of animals while hearing the petition filed by Vishva Hindu Parishad, they told the Court that the Tripura government gave the names. Embarrassed by the revelation in the Court, the state cabinet asked the Chief Wildlife Warden to clarify as to why such names were given to a pair.
The senior official going through the official records informed the state cabinet that it was not the mistake of the forest department. The real Akbar is still housed in the same enclosure inside Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoo. None of the senior officials are willing to make any official comment on the issue as the suspension of the wildlife warden had sent shockwaves within the department. Sources said this fiasco taught a lesson to the whole department on how a silly mistake can take such a big turn.
“There are many animals that have been given different names at different times. But for making pairs, the experts take into account the genetic vibrancy, parenting quality and a host of important things. Ram and Sita were paired based on those qualities,” an official added.
Also Read: Finance Minister allocates Rs 2497 crore as tax devolution for Arunachal