At the entrance to the Thiruvananthapuram museum and zoo compound, where the road curves towards the red and white colonial structure, a modest banner erected by the Kerala NGO Union, linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), signals the opposition against the proposal to shift the 167-year-old zoo from the city to a forest neighbourhood.
The proposal came from Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan over a week ago while speaking on the government’s Reimagining Keralam programme. Satheesan argued that allowing the animals to continue in the limited space is a cruelty against them and they need to be moved to a more natural habitat. He also said that the green expanse that presently hosts the zoo would be converted into a public square like the Madison Square in New York.
Interestingly, Satheesan’s proposal received instant support from the current Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, BJP leader VV Rajesh. Rajesh alleged that animals were dying because of increased temperature and the people in the neighbourhood live in fear of catching zoonotic diseases. The city zoo is dangerous for rare animals, he said.
Reactions have been immediate and have polarised the citizens. The zoo, built in 1859 by the king of erstwhile Travancore, Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma, sits like a crown jewel in the state’s capital.
“The Madras zoo was the first to be built but it was later relocated. In that way this is the oldest zoo in India that has remained in one place,” said Adv VK Prasanth, former Mayor and legislator from the city.
“What makes it most special is that in the same compound you have the museum, the zoo, the botanical garden and the art galleries. In the past three years, there were 14 lakh visitors to the zoo and museum every year,” Prasanth said.
Opposition to zoo relocation
Over a thousand animals belonging to nearly a hundred species are in the zoo, spread over 55 acres of land. The enclosures cover around 30 acres and the zoo itself is recognised as a large category facility by the Zoo Authority of India. The diversity of trees and the green cover it provides has prompted many citizens to oppose the move.
Former zoo veterinarian Dr Jacob Alexander was among the foremost to oppose the move. Addressing the points raised by the Chief Minister, Dr Jacob said that the move would be akin to shifting a prisoner from a sub-jail to a central jail.
“The first point they talk about is animal welfare. Now, you cannot move captive animals to forests, which is their natural habitat. If you are going to create another confined enclosure, it will be just another jail. For instance, a tiger needs 50 to 100 km to move about in its natural habitat, unless we could create a space to move all these animals into an area that large, it does not make a difference,” he said.
Wildlife photographer and conservationist Balan Madhavan echoes a similar sentiment: “Unless the new area is at least three times the size of the existing compound - say 150 acres of open space - you are not treating the animals with any better dignity. And that’s what is most important, to treat the animals with dignity. The concept of a zoo, of keeping animals in iron cages for viewing, is colonial and fast disappearing. Zoos should be interpretation centres, and those who work with the animals should be experts,” he said.
The increase in temperature inside the city is also cited as another reason for shifting the zoo. Dr Jacob said the temperature in the existing compound is considerably less when compared to the city.
“There are hundreds of trees, some of them nearly 200-years-old and older than the zoo itself. Over the years, exotic saplings were brought from different parts of the country. You will never find such a canopy of diversity in any other zoo in India. In the hot afternoon if you go to the Natural History Museum and stand under the Simsapa trees there, it is like air-conditioning. The green cover improves the air quality of the entire city. There are more than a hundred free flying birds. After twilight, when the zoo closes, and the visitors leave, the animals can sleep in peace, because we don’t even switch on electric lights there,” Dr Jacob said.
Balan Madhavan also makes a similar point about the green cover and the need to keep it as such. “Every city needs its lungs and for the city of Thiruvananthapuram, this compound is its lungs,” he said.
Dr Jacob also spoke about the concerns of noise pollution affecting animals. “The king must have taken advice from some of the best minds when he built the zoo because all four sides have been ‘cushioned’, buffered to make sure the sounds don’t reach the zoo. An artificial lake has been set up using the first rainwater harvesting system in India, on one side. On another side is the Napier Museum with its botanical gardens. On the third side is the Museum Police Station, the art galleries, and the quarters of the various departments. The only issue is with the Nishagandhi Auditorium, where events take place, and which was built much later by town planners. By law, the sound should be kept within 60 decibels, it is up to the lawmakers to ensure that this is maintained.”
Dr Jacob had approached the Human Rights Commission to get an order to keep the sound within permissible limits during his tenure as zoo vet.
Are zoos needed anymore?
Environmentalist and State Planning Board member Sridhar Radhakrishnan said the practice of maintaining animals in caged zoos should end. "I think it is inhuman and it is time we stop exhibiting animals in cages. I am not saying you should close down the zoo now but it should be phased out," he said.
While he declined to comment on relocating the zoo to another area, Sridhar said he is open to the idea of moving them to more open enclosures. "What is actually needed for the state is a proper rehabilitation and medical attention centre for wild animals that may be hurt or are unhealthy and cannot survive in the forests. The healthier ones should be treated and returned to the forests," Sridhar said.
Citizens fear loss of green lung, livelihoods
"Why should the zoo be relocated? To use the land for more statues of politicians? To parcel it off for commercial interests? To destroy this beautiful green lung of the city? It's a nefarious plan. If the zoo is overcrowded, leave it as it is and relocate some of the animals to Neyyar. This is one of the oldest zoos in India," said Saraswathy Nagarajan, retired senior deputy editor with The Hindu.
Those who oppose the proposal have joined the issue with the CM’s suggestion of converting the space into a Madison Square-like public arena. VK Prasanth said Madison Square is a sports and entertainment hub with massive buildings. It does not have the kind of green cover that the zoo compound has, he said.
The CM’s suggestion led to allegations that there is some vested interest to hand over the land to private developers, but this was denied by Satheesan.
Small-scale vendors stationed outside the zoo-museum compound are also worried. “We will definitely be affected. Hopefully the move will not happen,” said Shaji, who has been selling raw mangoes outside the museum since 2011.
Writer and columnist Khyrunnisa A said the zoo is an integral part of the city. “We grew up going regularly to the zoo - one of the few treats our city offered. The proposal to shift it defies logic. The Trivandrum zoo is believed to be the oldest public zoo in India that has continued to function at its original location. Can't we retain this proud record?” asks Khyrunnisa.
Sridhar Radhakrishnan said there is no plan to cut down or remove any of the trees. "The idea is to maintain the ecosystem and develop it as a recreational space. When the CM said Madison Square he meant Madison Square Park and for this we could bring some of the best people in the field who could maintain the urban wilderness while doing something that Thiruvananthapuram can be proud of," Sridhar said.
VK Prasanth, who is a CPI(M) leader, has announced a Save Trivandrum Zoo campaign to stop the proposed move. The zoo, the museum, the Padmanabhapuram temple and the Secretariat are integral to the city, said Prasanth. “If you remove them, then there is no Thiruvananthapuram,” he said.