Do not import gorillas to Indian zoos, appeals NGO

An NGO working for animal rights Tuesday appealed to the zoo authority here to prohibit any further import of gorillas to Indian zoos.

"The recent death of a gorilla (43 years old) at the Mysore zoo, after spending 18 years in isolation, highlights unsuitability of this highly intelligent and endangered species to be held in captivity. We have appealed to the Central Zoo Authority of India to prohibit any further import of gorillas to Indian zoos," Puja Mitra, campaign manager, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), said in a statement.

"Zoos are meant primarily to support the conservation of endangered indigenous species as well as to support the ex-situ conservation of species not native to India. Keeping a gorilla in captivity serves neither purpose, save that of exhibiting the animal as a tourist attraction," added Mitra.

The NGO has also said that authorities in India have not taken measures for the recovery and rehabilitation of threatened species and for their re-introduction into their natural habitats, as mentioned under Article 9 of the bio-diversity convention.

Gorillas have been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List.