THE BALLOON MAN

Circus animals left hungry, in the lurch

from: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

TNN

Mar 6, 2014

MARGAO: The woes of the workers at the circus camp site in Margao don't seem to end as they are now facing water, power and food shortage while some of the workers have decided to pack up their bags and head home.

For starters, the electricity department has sent a notice to the camp site informing that they are to cut the power supply and that no extension could be served due to the non-clearance of existing bills with the department. The workers are facing a similar case with a private contractor who used to supply them water via a tanker and the canteen contractor, both who have made it clear that they would not be in a position to continue their services.

With no income being generated and the fact that the circus workers have not even been paid, their future seems bleak and most of them have decided to shift to Kudal, Maharashtra, where the next circus event was scheduled to take place while others are heading back to their native hometown.

The situation is worse when it comes to the feeding of the four elephants, five horses, a camel, 14 dogs, 3 goats and 17 parrots at the site.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests Richard D'Souza said that the government cannot provide food to the animals at the circus camp site and that the forest department can only intervene on directions from the government.

He added that if any NGO had to complain to the government about the malnourished animals then the government would direct the forest department to feed them and that they could take a decision on that. He said that if a decision is taken to feed the animals, then the animals would be have to shifted to Bondla wildlife sanctuary first.