The Delhi High Court on Saturday directed the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to take custody of an illegally confined hippopotamus by the Asiad Circus Management while also issuing non-bailable warrants against its proprietor. The Court has directed to place the hippopotamus in the zoological park.
The Court had on February 24, 2020, directed the respondents to disclose the location and the status of the hippopotamus and physical presence of the proprietor. But despite repetitive orders of the Court, no action was taken.
During the hearing on Friday a single-judge bench of Justice Pratibha M. Singh noted that despite repeated directions, the proprietor did not disclose the location of the male hippopotamus.
Directing the authorities to take custody of the hippopotamus, the Court said that the animal should be placed in Delhi Zoo and if the animal is recovered from any other site then the animal should be placed in a nearby zoo. The Court has directed the police to provide assistance to the organisation for the recovery of the hippopotamus. It further directed to take care of the animal till the next date of hearing which is fixed for April 15.
The Court was hearing the petition filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 2018, seeking seizure of the male hippopotamus who is 9-years-old now.
The petition has claimed that the animal was born in a zoo and was living with his parents and it was cruel to separate him from his family and forced to live a lonely life depriving the basic social life.
“The lone hippopotamus is being forced to live a solitary life inside the Asiad Circus in small enclosure which is in clear violation of the Central Zoo Authority guidelines, which provides for 1:1 ratio for number of hippopotamuses of opposite sex to be housed as a minimum requirement and is also being exhibited illegally,”
-the plea said.
It also said that hippos are aggressive and keeping such an animal at a place like a circus could be a huge risk and threat to human lives.
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“The Asiad Circus is apparently in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act since it continues to exhibit, train and use animals for performances despite revocation of its registration certificate…,”
it claimed.
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