Condition of Varanasi's Sarnath zoo and its inmates is deteriorating

Varanasi, Dec 9 (ANI): Visitors at the Sarnath zoo in Varanasi complain that the condition of inmates and the park has deteriorated in the recent past.

The park in holy city houses three alligators, one crocodile, two swans, 130 small birds and ducks, 70 chital deer and five blackbucks.

Visitors are of the view that because of the deteriorating condition of the park, the inmates depend on the visitors for food and fodder.

"It is seen that all the deer present here are dependent on the visitors for their feed. Feed situation for them is not good and I believe that they (zoo inmates) are satisfying their hunger with the food served by visitors. I think the authorities and officials are not paying due attention, which should not be the case," said Hemant Srivastava, a local visitor.

"I have come here earlier also and the condition here looks bad compared to past. Earlier tickets were cheaper; the entry pass, which was earlier of rupees three, now costs rupees five. The condition here really looks deteriorating if we see trees and zoo inmates.

Number of visitors has also come down," said Sachin, a visitor from Mumbai.

However authorities of the zoo say proper arrangement is made for feeding the inmates.

"Grains are served to birds and swans. Two kinds of fish are fed to inmates, the larger ones are served to crocodile, alligators and swans while smaller ones are fed to other birds," said Ram Vinay Singh, caretaker of the park.

Being the only wildlife park of the region, it attracts large number of visitors every year. (ANI)