PETA activists protest harassment of animals in zoos

Mumbai, Oct 8 : People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) activists held a demonstration in front of a zoo here seeking protection for animals from visitors to zoological parks.

They say the animals are treated as prisoners in the zoological parks.

Wearing animal masks and shackled in chains, protesters held placards reading 'Mumbai zoo pitiful prison' in their demonstration before the Mumbai zoological park.

PETA activists said the zoo authorities did nothing to improve the lot of animals despite being prompted by them since 2003.

"From December 2003, we have our staffers. PETA are telling the authorities about the problems of the zoo and also on the improvement they can do, but till date nothing has been done. Even the basic thing such as keeping the zoo clean, stopping the harassment of the animals, stopping visitors from teasing animal, nothing has been done so far," said Sachin Bangera, campaign coordinator, PETA.

Volunteers claimed that the Bombay High Court in 2005 gave orders about taking measures to stop harassment of animals from visitors and also cleanliness in zoos, but nothing has been done so far.

According to activists, the animals are separated from their families and sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness and abuse. Most animals are intelligent, sensitive and social creatures, which live in closely knit family groups, they added.

ANI