The News Minute | February 20, 2015 | 12:20 pm IST
He smiled as he posed for a picture atop a 120 year old Galapagos tortoise in the Nehru Zoological Park, in Hyderabad. And then as the pictures started circulating on social media, the joy became short lived. Fazal Shaik was arrested by the Hyderabad police for the offense.
Fazal Shaik (24) who had got the photo clicked last May, told a gathering of reporters that he took the photo with the intention of putting it on Facebook for more 'likes.'.
"The man jumped over the enclosure and though this cannot be considered as a security lapse, it should prove as a lesson to others who want to try such misadventures" Ramakrishna Rao, Curator of the Nehru Zoological Park told The News Minute.
When asked if similar incidents had taken place earlier, Ramakrishna added that "Thousands of people visit the zoo during weekends and holidays but I don't think anything like this has happened before. As a precaution, however, security has been increased after the arrest."
The police have booked Fazal - who works for a local garage, under the Wildlife Protection Act. If convicted, he could be jailed for six months or made to pay a fine of Rs. 2000.
This move has not gone down well with animal rights activists as well.
Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, who works with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told TNM "What Galapagos turtles would “like” is to just be left along to graze and bask in the sun. The zoo is already an unnatural setting for a turtle who doesn’t get to live with his family. Turning him into a photo op can be traumatic and possibly spread diseases. It’s not being done for the welfare of the tortoise."
The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise and the 13th-heaviest living reptile. Modern giant tortoises can weigh up to 250 kg and are now considered an endangered species.
Earlier in September, a man was mauled by a white tiger in Delhi zoo after he had jumped inside the enclosure. Reports suggest that five similar incidents have occurred over the last eight years in various zoos across India.