Maneka cracks down hard on NIV, takes away animals

Regular inspections at NIV had revealed that the animals were being ill-treated, CPCSEA nominee Anuradha Sawhney said. Last July, CPCSEA expert Dr Saeed Kadri had visited the NIV and reported on the appaling conditions in which the animals were kept.

The monkeys were living in tiny, dark cages, the inspection report stated, and most were ill and malnourished. They were moving about in circles in their cages — a condition called zoochosis. ‘‘We found two bleeding from the mouth and anus. Some were deformed due to arthritis. The animals are fed gruel — a mixture of wheat with milk powder and rotten vegetables,’’ Sawhney says, adding, ‘‘they were given time to improve facilities’’.

She said the follow-up checks on May 8 and 11 showed no change in their living conditions. In fact, on May 11, committee members had to wait for over 45 minutes before being allowed into the premises. There was no veterinary surgeon and inspection revealed the rats and mice had not been provided water.

The CPCSEA nominee in Pune, Sunanda Das, rued that the NIV had been given 10 months to improve conditions. ‘‘We are not stopping them from conducting experiments on animals, but just telling them to be well-maintained,’’ says Sawhney, who is also the chief functionary of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The Indian Herpetological Society has decided to rehabilitate the animals at their orphanage, says president Anil Khaire. The committee will pay a daily sum of Rs 35 for the upkeep of each monkey.

Dr A.C. Mishra, officer-in-charge, NIV, is quick to point out that they had offered a “rehabilitation package” for the monkeys and were willing to co-operate with the committee. While he refused to answer queries on NIV’s failure to improve the living conditions of animals, he insisted that a new facility — a microbial containment complex — would be set up at Pashan within 10 days.