Wildlife Dept bans use of blind hippo by circus - Abhishek Kadyan

Panipat, October 23
The state Wildlife Department has banned the use of a blind hippo by Jumbo Circus. In a letter to the owners of the circus who are holding shows in Panipat from October 19 to October 25, the department said the permission to hold the circus could be granted only if the hippo, named Raja, was not used during the shows.

The department said the circus could use the hippo only if a team of the Central Zoo Authority of India, which inspected the hippo yesterday, would submit a report in favour of the hippo. The report is still awaited.

According to Naresh Kadyan, Indian representative of the International Organisation for Animal Protection, an NGO associated with the UN Department of Information and the Haryana People for Animals, who had demanded appropriate action against the owners of the circus, the campaign against the use of the blind hippo, launched by Sukanya Kadyan, was yet to reach its logical conclusion as the NGO would not rest till the animal was rescued and sent to a zoo.

Dr Sandeep Jain from Ludhiana, a former member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), said it was a serious matter and should be looked into at the highest level.