MID-DAY (Mumbai, India) 19 September 05 Zoo separates fighting crocodiles (Sujit Mahamulkar)
The management of Veermata Jijabai Bhonsale Zoo (Byculla zoo) has decided to separate two sparring crocodiles who were causing grievous harm to each other.
Said Dr M V Wani, deputy superintendent, “We had no option but to separate them with a fence.”
The zoo has a total of eight crocodiles, of which these two are the most aggressive. “Sometimes, they fight like gangsters,” said sources.
Anuradha Sawhney, chief functionary of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said, “There is very little water in the crocodile pond. Also it’s full of plants and there’s very little space inside. It’s also very dirty.”
Added Wani, “We built a partition in the pond, which effectively separates the crocodiles. They aren’t fighting any more.”
He also countered that the pond had enough water. “We know how to look after them and make them comfortable,” he added.
Zoo separates fighting crocodiles