The Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur, has refuted claims that it was providing poor quality meat to carnivorous animals.
Responding to a news report alleging that the meat of unhealthy and accident-victim animals were being given as feed, the Director, AAZP, in a statement on Tuesday dismissed the claims as “false” and “misleading”, stating that the zoo follows “a stringent process for procuring animal feed through tenders”.
“The procurement of perishable feed is conducted on a daily basis through a registered contractor, adhering to the zoo-tender agreement. In the latest tender for the supply of beef with bones and liver for carnivorous animals, seven vendors participated, of which one was duly selected based on rigorous criteria,” the statement said.
According to the authorities, after the meat reaches the zoo, it is kept in an UV chamber for 15 minutes for disinfection. Once a team of veterinarians checks its quality, the meat is cut and distributed to various animal enclosures. “The zoo management is committed to providing high quality and sufficient feed for all animals,” AAZP said in the statement.
