The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has directed the Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh to carry out an inquiry into the death of a white tigress at the Zoological Park and Rescue Centre at Mukundpur in Satna district.
The CZA issued the direction based on a complaint, which alleged that the white tigress named Radha died due to the alleged negligence of zoo management.
Radha, who had suffered severe injuries after she was attacked by a tiger inside the zoo last month, succumbed to her injuries on December 6. Following her death, Ajay Dubey, a tiger conservationist and board member of Transparency International (India), had written a letter to the CZA alleging negligence of zoo authorities.
"The CZA has asked the state's Wild Life Warden to conduct an inquiry into the death of the tigress," Ajay Dubey told PTI after getting a copy of the letter.
"Safari at this Zoological Park and Rescue Centre is being used for commercial purposes, which has caused harm to the tigress and other animals," he added.
The CZA has sought an inquiry by a team comprising a former zoo manager and the veterinarian and also directed the state forest authorities to treat this matter as urgent.
It has sought the reply of zoo management on the nine various points raised by Dubey in his complaint.
"The tigress was brought to Mukundpur from Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and she was housed with a Royal Bengal tiger (named Nakul) for mating purpose, which resulted in a fight," Dubey said in the complaint.
"This was an attempt of forcible mating in the absence of expertise and proper facilities at Mukundpur's Zoological Park and Rescue Centre," he said adding that the tigress died due to the negligence of zoo management.
The tigress had stopped eating three days prior to her death, he added.
The management of Mukundpur Park had not taken necessary permission from the CZA before shifting of the tiger from one enclosure to another, he alleged.
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