Delhi Zoo Gave Animals Expired Medication, Maneka Demands Action

The zoo has also allegedly been under-reporting the number of deaths and giving false post-mortem reports.

Zoo authorities in New Delhi have been giving expired medicines to the animals, according to The Times of India. Additionally, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) also revealed that the zoo has been administering ketamine (more commonly known as date rape drug), which is among drugs whose records were incomplete and lacked credibility.

At the time of the inquiry, medicines that had outlived their shelf life were still being used. The records of medications being maintained were incomplete. The date rape drug has a high value in the black market. This raises questions. The records show one vial of 50ml was to be supplied, but how did the zoo get five vials of 10ml each? The stock register also showed the ketamine stock to be nil, but the zoo still possessed two 10ml vials.

Central Zoo Authority

The Authority found out that the drug replanta, which expired in 2010, was still in use. In terms of the expiry date, the official records only state "not mentioned", according to the report. The zoo also failed to offer a record of the animals on which the drug had been used.

The medicine may or may not be harmful to the animal, but continuing to use it for so many years after its expiry date is unacceptable.

Central Zoo Authority

Maneka Gandhi, Union Women and Child Development Minister as well as an animal rights activist, wrote to Ministry of Environment and Forests on Wednesday.

Such complete corruption at the zoo can only be possible when the management has no fear of law and no regard for the regulators. May I request you to issue orders to immediately prosecute the director, Delhi zoo, and the veterinary staff so as to set an example for the other non-complying zoos.

Maneka Gandhi’s letter

This update comes only a day after The Times of India reported about deaths of several animals at the zoo, which allegedly had been under-reporting the number while also giving false post-mortem reports.

Not only were the deaths under-reported, as in the case of hog-deer, but even the representation of the gender ratio of the animal was misrepresented.

How can the sexes of the animals change after the deaths? Seven deaths were underreported and the postmortem was also not conducted for these animals. We have sent all these findings to the ministry who will now take further action where required.

Central Zoo Authority Officer

The CZA began its enquiry at the zoo in July, after receiving a letter by Maneka Gandhi.

(With inputs from The Times of India.)