Kerala forest official suspended after video leak of dead deer at new zoo
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An official at the newly opened Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur has been suspended for sharing a video of dead deer with the media.
This comes a week after stray dogs entered the park and killed at least ten deer in a major security lapse.
No action has been taken so far regarding the security failures that led to the deaths.
Deputy Range Officer K Muhammed Shamim was suspended after disciplinary action was initiated by Chief Forest Conservator R Adalarasan. The action followed a report submitted by the Assistant Forest Conservator.
The report accused him of sending photos to media houses. It also claimed suspicious calls were made from his phone and said his actions brought disrepute to the park.
Earlier, several birds and animals, including a leopard cub, had died during transfer to the new park. Even then, no official faced disciplinary action. But once the footage of the dead deer surfaced, the investigation into the leak and the suspension moved quickly.
On the security lapses that allowed stray dogs to enter the enclosures, officials said decisions will be made only after a minister-appointed investigation team submits its report.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran and Thrissur MLA K Rajan, who had said the park was built at a cost of Rs 370 crore, have not offered any clarification on the incident so far.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Shaji K Kodankandam alleged in a press note that officials secretly buried the deer carcasses. He said this violated the Wildlife Protection Act because they did not follow mandatory legal procedures. He also questioned why no one has been held responsible for the security failure.
He added that an RTI he filed, asking whether a security audit was conducted before the zoo was opened, was answered with a response stating “not applicable”.
The facility was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 28. The zoo has been designed to hold 534 animals from 80 species in 23 open and naturalistic enclosures. Animals from the existing Thrissur Zoo are being moved there in phases.