RGIA, US consulate seek help from zoo to counter wild animals

Hyderabad:  The wild encounters in the newly-developed areas like Gachibowli and Shamshabad has recently prompted the affected organisations to knock on the doors of zoo and seek their help in countering the menace.  

With the erstwhile wilderness slowly giving away to the rapid urbanisation, the zoo authorities are regularly getting calls for countering wild animals in their areas. In the recent days, the zoo officials received representations from security officials from RGIA (Rajiv Gandhi International Airport) in Shamshabad and from upcoming US Consulate in Financial District, Gachibowli, which is close to University of Hyderabad (UoH), which still holds different species of flora and fauna within sprawling campus. 

According to officials, a team of about 20 security men from GMR (Airport) had approached them with the complaint of monkeys, which in the recent days have become a menace and a risk to the flights. The zoo officials created awareness about the behaviour of the animal and after visiting the locations within the RGIA identified the possible spots from where the apes may be trespassing. 

One of the important aspects of assistance from zoo was a day’s overall training to these men on August 14. During the training they also received the knowhow of making the ‘trap cage’ for trapping these apes. “We conducted one day training to the ‘operational staff’ of GMR over precautions, trapping and maintenance of trap cage. They are now able to make trap cages on their own. Through an official letter, they had requested the curator to help them out, so both myself and Dr M Navin Kumar, Deputy Director (Rtd) trained them in this endeavour,” said Dr M A Hakeem, Assistant Director (Vet), Nehru Zoological Park. 

Meanwhile in Gachibowli, a porcupine had created problems to the security men of the upcoming US Consulate in the Financial District. Given the fact that being one of the wildest creatures which has sharp quills, the security officials approached the zoo officials to help them out in catching the wild animal. Even though none saw it with their naked eye, being nocturnal (active during the night) it has appeared in their ‘trap cameras’ installed by the security men near the upcoming structure. The zoo officials along with security men of US Consulate made a concrete action plan and prepared the trap-cage for the porcupine on August 17. “It was about one week of action plan to catch the animal. To ensure that it is caught, they have to shift the trap-cage from one place to other. We hope that it will be trapped shortly,” the official affirmed.

BY Md Nizamuddin