(a) whether the Government have received any interim report on the death of tigers at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Orissa;
(b) if so, the action taken thereon;
(c) whether the Government have sought suggestions from experts concerning zoo regarding captive inbreeding; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI BABU LAL MARANDI)
(a) & (b) The Ministry of Environment and Forest appointed an Expert Committee to find out the causes of death and to suggest ways and means to prevent recurrence of such happenings on 6th July, 2000. The Committee has submitted its report to the Ministry. The Ministry has also obtained inputs and opinion of experts from all over the country. The officials of the Ministry after a meeting with senior officers of Govt. of Orissa have drawn up a plan of action so that such incidence does not reoccur. The action plan will be monitored by a high level committee of the Union Government.
(c) & (d) It is established fact that inbreeding reduces the resistance of the animals against diseases. In the instant case, Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, has opined that the loss of heterozygousity in captive bred tigers due to inbreeding is only marginal. Therefore, the chances of white tigers being more prone to diseases are minimal.