Criminal case to be filed over zebras’ death in Safari Park

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to file a criminal case against the persons responsible behind the recent death of zebras at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur.

Additionally, departmental cases will be filed against those concerned with taking administrative action. It has also been decided to implement the 24 recommendations, made by the probe committee, in phases.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Mohammad Shahab Uddin in the ministry's conference room today.

Based on the report submitted by the probe committee, it was found that hazardous effects of excess nitrate on the grass associated with mixed bacterial infections contributed to the death of the zebras.

The ministry has called for legal action based on the report provided by the five-member probe committee formed in January to unearth the actual reason for the death of the zebras.

Earlier, 11 Zebras died between 2 January and 29 January one after another at the core of the Bangabandhu Safari Park. 

Meanwhile, on 12 January, a tiger died in the safari park after remaining sick for one and half months.

After the death of the zebras, samples were sent to various labs including that of Bangladesh Agriculture University for postmortem. 

A separate expert committee was also formed that visited the park on 26 January and 29 January.

They claimed that the Zebras died as a result of fighting among themselves and diseases caused by bacteria. 

The park authorities said that they were trying to contact various expert veterinarians as per the direction of the ministry to prevent the death of the zebras. They were trying to communicate with the farm owners in South Africa from where these zebras were brought.

The park Project Director Zahidul Kabir said there are now 20 zebras in the park after the death of 11 zebras.