The Nengkhra regional unit of the Garo Students Union (GSU) has added its voice to the opposition to the relocation of hoolock gibbons currently lodged at the Sonja Wildlife Rescue Centre in Tura to the new state zoo in Ri-Bhoi.
It was clarified recently by the Chief Minister that the state has no such plan to relocate the endangered animals but that the Central Zoo Authority has proposed it because the Tura centre is not adequate in terms of facilities to look after the gibbons.
The GSU, however, described conditions at the Sonja centre as the “optimal environment” for the animals, “ideally suited for the gibbons’ rehabilitation and eventual release”. (The CM had given a completely contrasting opinion on the latter point last week.)
The pressure group also pointed to the hoolock gibbons’ cultural significance to the Garo people and asked the state government to upgrade facilities in the Tura centre instead of relocating the gibbons, while also strengthening anti-poaching laws and enhancing local conservation initiatives.
