Two accused have been arrested by forest department officials for illegally possessing, displaying, and trading protected animals at the Dadar Marine Aqua Zoo. Despite claims, the zoo does not have recognition from the Central Zoo Authority and had been operating as a commercial facility. An FIR has also been registered against the zoo under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972). The zoo has since closed for visitors and the owners have begun demolishing the structures. In other news, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the party will continue to be a part of the NDA alliance after their victory in Andhra Pradesh.
With World Environment Day approaching, World Animal Protection is calling for responsible treatment of all animals, whether in the wild or on commercial wildlife farms. Their recent research has uncovered the cruel conditions in which an estimated 5.5 billion wild animals are being kept, with lack of transparency and inadequate monitoring in the multi-billion-dollar industry. As more and more elephants, bears, and big cats are being bred in captivity for activities like tourism and traditional medicine, the impact on conservation and animal welfare is concerning. The organization urges for stricter enforcement of wildlife trade laws and retirement of elephants used for riding in Amer Fort and Haathi Gaon to wildlife sanctuaries. Additionally, with the focus of World Environment Day 2024 on land restoration and drought resilience, the harmful effects of factory farming on the environment and animal welfare are also emphasized.