The statewide strike of forest employees affected the functioning of the Wild Animal Conservation Centre in Sambalpur which is spread over 13.16 hectares. Apart from 268 species, there are more than 200 rescued species at the centre.

Around fourteen daily-wage earners, on contract basis, have been entrusted with the task of taking care of the animals at the Centre. A spokesperson of the Zoo said, “The visitors’ inflow has increased manifold. With few employees, it has become a matter of concern for us to maintain the safety and security of visitors and animals,” reported The Times of India.  

These four daily wage earners are looking after everything including cleaning of the enclosures, providing food to the animals and managing the visitors while two foresters and three forest guards have stopped coming because of the strike. They are striking demanding regularization of jobs, promotion and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. 

Besides adults and parents, children are strongly associated with their presence in such premises. Therefore, all efforts should be done to meet the genuine demands of the striking people to ensure that such places keep thriving for the better in the future because the visitors including children do get a good feel by visiting these places and therefore such visits can be taken as enhancement in the positive mood of the general populace living in the society.  

A study should be undertaken to keep the morale high of all the workers working in such places who can in turn then give their best to enable the living animals to continue to live nicely to the extent possible.  Animal rights group would simply love to see that all those who are caregivers for the varied animals in the various Zoos in the country are well motivated to give their best.