Former Trinamool MP Jawhar Sircar calls for solutions for animals lacking from Alipore Zoo

Former Trinamool Congress MP and former Culture Secretary to the Government of India Jawhar Sircar on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) raised questions over the “sudden and gross decline” within the variety of animals and birds in Kolkata’s Alipore Zoological Garden, referring to irregularities of their stock knowledge as per annual studies printed by the Central Zoo Authority. 

“There is little doubt that the variety of animals and birds at Alipore Zoo have declined remarkably. In 1996, the Alipore Zoo housed roughly 1,872 animals and birds. As of the opening inventory knowledge of 2024, there are solely 351 creatures. This drastic lower has no logic,” Mr. Sircar stated at a public assembly referred to as by the Kolkata-based NGO, Save Wild Animal and Zoo and Our Nature (SWAZON). 

He added that clerical or typographic error in knowledge entry can account for roughly 1% irregularity. 

“However, on this case, the discrepancy in stock knowledge is simply too massive. Where did the animals go? If there are deaths, they should submit post-mortem studies,” Mr. Sircar stated. 

According to the Annual Inventory of Animals in Indian Zoos studies of 2023-24, the overall closing inventory of all creatures at Alipore Zoo as of March 31, 2023, was 672. However, the opening inventory as of the next day, April 1, 2024, was 351 — marking an obvious sooner or later lower of over 300 creatures. 

The closing inventory as of March 31, 2025, in line with the report, is 1084. 

Mr. Sircar added that the 2024-25 knowledge don’t have any information for giant animals like lions, tigers, elephants, and giraffes, and demanded that the State authorities must “present solutions to clarify the elemental drawback behind this discrepancy for public curiosity.” 

“There is both gross negligence or a big conspiracy at play right here. The authorities doesn’t personal land; they’re the protectors of a sure land. It is their obligation to guard such properties,” Mr. Sircar stated. 

It is price noting that Mr. Sircar in September final 12 months had resigned from his place of MP within the Upper House over the rape and homicide of a health care provider at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and allegations of corruption on the hospital. 

Alleged public sale of Zoo land 

Meanwhile, former Director General of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and member of SWAZON Dipankar Sinha claimed on Wednesday that the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) issued a young for the e-auction of part of the Alipore Zoo land. 

On May 23, HIDCO floated a discover for e-auction inviting affords for the “for allotment of 166.50 Katha (11137.50 SQ.M) land in premises no. 34A, Belvedere Road, Alipore beneath ward no 74 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on freehold foundation for Commercial use which shall inter alia consists of an aquarium.”

He alleged that 34A Belvedere Road belongs to the Alipore Zoo and homes the zoo’s veterinary hospital and animal rescue centre.

“As we all know the Alipore Zoo is positioned on two sides of the Alipore Road. On one facet we’ve got the aquarium, the veterinary hospital and rescue centre, and an auditorium. The land on which the veterinary hospital is positioned has been put up on public sale. But KMC doesn’t personal that land, it’s not the federal government’s to promote,” Mr Sinha advised The Hindu. 

He added that the veterinary hospital is crucial for the welfare of the animals and criticised the proposal for its purported e-auction.

Mr. Sinha additional stated that the alleged “disappearance” of tons of of creatures from the zoo coupled with the public sale of part of the zoo land indicators a “grave and darkish future” for town’s ecosphere and raises considerations over whether or not the house is being deteriorated to a lower-tier zoological backyard. 

“One facet of the zoo, of which the handle is 2, Alipore Road, is a heritage property. The second a part of the zoo, which is positioned on the other facet of the identical highway, unusually has a special handle — 34A Belvedere Road. It makes one marvel if there’s a concerted effort to ultimately unload the latter fully, on account of it not being on the identical handle because the heritage property,” SWAZON member Swarnali Chattopadhyay stated. 

She additionally highlighted that in line with the report on the Annual Inventory of Animals in Zoos, the stock of animals and birds in Alipore Zoo has proven a gross and sudden decline in earlier years as properly. 

“If it’s certainly a clerical error as zoo authorities declare, then why has the information not been corrected? And have the so-called lacking animals been retrieved in consequent stock studies? Questions stay on how such gross ‘typographical errors’ are being made 12 months after 12 months, and if there are bigger forces at play,” Ms. Chattopadhyay stated. 

Notably, SWAZON filed a Public Interest Litigation on the Calcutta High Court on July 1 alleging that “tried alienation of [zoo land] with out acquiring prior consent from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), constitutes a direct violation of Section 38-H of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, in addition to Rules 10, 10.3(8), and 10.4(2) of the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009.”