Life in a cage | My experiences at Sayaji Baug Zoo, Vadodara

Hello Visitors,

Yesterday, that is 20th Feb, 2010. I visited Kamati baug (now known as Sayaji Baug Zoo), in Vadodara city.

After a tired  day in the city, suddenly I got this idea to visit Sayaji Baug Zoo at 2.00 PM, so I hired an auto-rickshaw and moved towards the railway station. From railway station, Kamati baug is in nearby area so I took a walk and reached there. (Approx. 1.4 km)

Then i entered the Kamati baug (Garden), as the place was already visited by me in the past it was no wonder for me.. The lush green grass and couples sitting hand in hand soon followed, i kept moving  wondering were sit peacefully. Many couple’s hang out here and i guess this place is a paradise for them.

I found an ice-cream parlour and bought one of my favorite ice-cream “Choco bar” and started walking.. I kept moving on the way, till i found an end, then started walking back and reached back to same place (parlour). I thought not to disturb these couple’s any more and moved towards zoo or animals section.

The tickets for entry into the zoo for sightseeing various species of animals is just Rs. 10 (back in 2010) which I happily paid and moved in.

Gate 1: The bird section

Watching birds is always a fun for anyone of us, the way they are gifted with colours and beauty makes them an apple of eye, but a bird flying in free air is more beautiful to see then a helpless one sitting in a small cage or room.

There are many birds almost of all varieties and also some water creatures like swan and others, i silently watched them and moved on, with a pain for them in my eye’s. The worst i felt was for a black swan, the only swan in his section. I guess life for him would be the worst, guess how will u feel, if u r the only human all around..

I got out and moved my way to see bear and lion section, in the way i saw crocodiles enjoying their afternoon near a small lake..

Gate 2: Here were some lion, dear and a bear.

I went to see bear, but the poor guy(bear) was sleeping and could hardly seen, many left un noticing him and many cried for unable to watch him, few observed that he is there in a corner and sleeping and many of them gossiped that ‘ someone awaken him, we have paid to watch him’.

I stood there silently understanding the pain of a silent bear, How the hell like situation he is forced to, no other bear in Km’s near by, the only poor creature, forced in a 2 room sized cage, with basic facilities. but missing the freedom, missing life, missing his fellows. I think the worst punishment for him, and still worse we human come to see them, feel entertain and proud of putting them there, who the hell are we to play with them and put them in lockers..

After 5 minutes or so, i moved away, watched a similar poor creature lion, who was taking rest. within a minute i moved ahead and watched some dears and so on.. Suddenly i found lion roaring, and i ran to discover that a group of students of a high school made him irritated, they all were roaring on him and throwing small sand stones, and the lion got angry and roaring on them, as the poor lion shouted some got feared, a few ran away and other still shouting loudly as they new the poor lion could not cross his boundaries, the cage. I shouted there, and told students, this is not fair and in mean time their teacher came running and took them away scolding. The poor lion sat down back in to his small world of 3 walls and iron bars fence, on the sand, discovering back his sleep'; i was looking at him and he too noticed me.. i really felt bad for him too..

I thought of moving out from here to enter the third and last gate 3, the tiger one.

But i stopped again to see how is bear doing, to my surprise he is awakened and sitting in the corner where sunlight could not reach him, i felt he is sad, he looked beautiful with his black hairy body, his small eye’s were relaxing clear cut symptoms of great pain in his heart, which we people can’t even guess.

His pain was felt by few more people, yes i was not the only one.. but all humans are not alike few talked of someone make him stand i want to see how big he is, i have paid for it. rest just noticed him silently and moved away, i was looking in his eyes probably the bear noticed..

Still watching him, i really tried to discover his pain, and to my surprise the bear stood up, and was walking towards me and he came to me as near as possible as could be and sat touching the fence, and he was looking at me, no not in anger but in love, i could see in his eye’s. I felt he is saying to me “Please rescue me”, but damn it “i was helpless”. i just looked in his trying to express “I understand u” but i am helpless.

In a mean time a group of student appeared and started shouting, the bear unmoved kept silent, it seems it was no wonder for him, as he is used to it, as for him many such groups have visited him daily, to take fun off him, the poor dear. I really really felt bad and while writing this blog i am still thinking of him and feeling pain in my eye’s.

I felt sorry and after staying nearly 15 to 20 minutes feeling his pain i moved away, probably i would be one such tourist who would have given such a time to the poor fellow understanding his pain, i hope everyone could understand this, and find a solution for the similar problems, how can we help and rescue them..

Gate- 3- THE TIGER. Finally i moved to this section, the tiger’s. There were not only Tigers but also one lion, 4-5 owls of 3 different categories, and a python. Again poor fellows with poor small sized cage’s, except for one tiger, there was a open type of cage, where he can roar in open, with nearly 40 feet iron bar fence covering from 3 sides and wall at other side. I guess the other two tiger’s and a lion would be allowed to move in this as small closed gate’s were there which could probably be open to walk in.. But in days they were forced to sit in their respective cages so that visitor’s could see them.

In this way, the evening ended and i have to walk back to railway station to catch the train, i moved out at 5.00 PM.

The journey will remain in my heart forever..

I went in with a hope of some fun, and came out with tears giggled.

I hope You would have read the blog with equal feelings or at least would have understood the point i am raising.

Read Next - The Love Story of a Lion

Thanks and Regards,

Navneet Singh Chauhan.

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