MZA committee blames sloppy facility for escaped leopard

The committee appointed by the Maharashtra Zoo Authority (MZA) has revealed that there has been no structural audit of the Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WARRC) in Katraj for over two decades.

The committee also stressed that the cages in the facility were in poor condition and that this led to the leopard outbreak at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj.

On March 4, Sachin, an eight-year-old male leopard, escaped from his enclosure where he was kept under quarantine. The leopard was caught after 40 hours. Following this incident, a five-member team of experts appointed by the state zoo authority led by District Forest Officer MZA Lina Ade visited Katraj Zoo on April 15 and 16, more than a month after the leopard escape.

The members of the committee included retired IFS officer Anil Anjankar, who has extensive experience in zoo administration. A veterinarian, a civil engineer and a zoo curator were also present. During the two-day visit, the committee focused on analyzing the incident and checking the cages for their structural integrity. The committee also spoke to forest officials about the incident. In the last week of May, the report of the visit was handed over to Prabhunath Shukla, member secretary, Maharashtra Zoo Authority.

Commenting on the key findings, Ade said: “The committee found that the cages and enclosures in the quarantine facilities had not been structurally inspected. The terrible condition of the cages is likely the reason for the outbreak.”

In its conclusions, the committee suggested that old cages in the quarantine facility should undergo a structural audit, especially those that are more than ten years old. It stressed that state organizations must conduct a structural audit.

In addition to the structural review, the committee report also addressed numerous other topics.

When the leopard escaped, the zoo authorities did not inform the other relevant authorities – including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the police and the forest department – about the incident. This raised safety and management concerns with the administration.