One of the two Himalayan bears, part of a wildlife exchange program, has gone missing while being transported from Nagaland Zoo in Dimapur to Nandanvan Jungle Safari in Raipur, triggering accusations of negligence from wildlife advocate Nitin Singhvi, ETV Bharat reported.
According to Singhvi, the bears were brought to Nagaland Zoo as part of a wildlife exchange program. A team of two doctors had accompanied five Spotted Deer and two Blackbucks from Nandanvan Jungle Safari to Nagaland Zoo. Upon returning, the team left Nagaland Zoo with the two Himalayan bears. However, when they reached Nandanvan Jungle Safari, only one bear was accounted for, with the other one missing.
Singhvi raised concerns over the disappearance, questioning whether the bear escaped or was stolen, and asked for a full explanation from the forest department regarding the incident. “What happened to the missing bear? Was it lost during the journey or is there something more to this?” Singhvi said. He also demanded transparency from the department, seeking details about the doctors involved, the bear’s whereabouts, and whether an autopsy was conducted if the bear had died.
Additionally, Singhvi expressed concern over animal deaths at Nandanvan Jungle Safari, including those of porcupines and a female bison. He criticized the forest department for its failure to prevent such incidents and urged the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to release a report on wildlife deaths during his tenure.
Singhvi has called for a ban on wildlife exchange programs until proper protocols are established and demanded that the doctors involved in the transport be suspended pending an investigation.
(With inputs from ETV Bharat).