JANUARY 11: The two panther cubs now at Jeejamata Udyan were sent by Mayor Nandu Satam two months ago, disclosed superintendent of gardens K L Velodi on Monday. One of the cubs died on Saturday and zoo authorities are waiting for the post-mortem report.When contacted today Satam admitted to dispatching the cubs to the zoo. He said two unidentified persons had found the less-than-a-month-old cubs near human settlements at Borivli national park and left them with the security personnel at his bungalow. ``Thinking that the zoo would be in a better position to nurse the cubs than the forest officials, I sent them with good intentions immediately,'' he added. The cubs were discovered in the zoo's hospital on Sunday by officials of Wildlife Preservation Department (western region). Wild animals picked up or captured for any reason must be deposited with the forest department, not with a zoo, according to the Wildlife Protection Act.However, sources in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suspect thatthe timing of the disclosure about the cub's to the press was aimed at jeopardising the financial assistance the garden department was seeking from the Centre. Meanwhile, Union Minister of Environment and Forests Suresh Prabhu met the garden department officials and agreed all assistance to the BMC. According to Velodi, Prabhu has agreed to sanction Rs 7.5 crore to develop the garden and the zoo.
