Serious questions have been raised over the death of a jackal in the National Zoo. file photo
Jagran correspondent, New Delhi. Serious questions have been raised regarding the death of a jackal in the National Zoological Park (Zoo). The National Zoo Workers Union has written a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change demanding an independent investigation under the supervision of the court. The union alleges that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was not followed during the death of the jackal and evidence was later destroyed.
According to the union, some jackals had escaped from their designated enclosure in the zoo premises in November. One of these jackals passed through beat number four and reached the enclosure of the Himalayan black bear. It is alleged that instead of following the prescribed protocol to safely catch or save the jackal, negligence was done.
The letter claimed that the jackal was killed inside the bear enclosure. During this incident, daily wage laborers were called, chilli powder was thrown into the enclosure and fire was also set, due to which the jackal died on the spot. The union has described this entire incident as cruelty and open violation of rules. Zoo officials say that no such incident has come to the notice of the administration. The record for March 31 shows nine jackals. The Joint Director is investigating the matter.
The union also alleges that after the death of the jackal, an attempt was made to destroy the evidence. It has been claimed that two days after the incident, the remains of the jackal were removed from the spot and destroyed without any official notice. However, under wildlife protection rules, it is mandatory to immediately report the death of any wild animal, get a veterinary examination done and preserve the carcass for post-mortem.
The National Zoo Workers Union has demanded that the ministry form an independent investigation team comprising officials from outside the zoo administration and the Delhi Forest Department. He has also demanded that the investigation be conducted directly under the supervision of the court or the ministry. The union has also demanded immediate suspension of the guilty officials and initiation of criminal proceedings against them.
Additionally, the union has demanded that all CCTV camera footage around the incident site be preserved between December 14 and 20, 2025. The union says that this footage is important evidence for the investigation and it should not be destroyed under any circumstances.