It’s Wildlife Week, but are we concerned?

We’re into October’s first week, also observed as Wildlife Week. There are, of course, various activities planned to draw attention to flora and fauna at present.

The Bombay Natural History Society has put together an exhibition that highlights our forest wealth (this year is also the International Year of Forests, as earmarked by the UN).

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park has introduced a scheme for those who wish to stay overnight in tents, close to nature. There was a rabies awareness drive by the Welfare of Stray Dogs that took place in the lead up to the Week.

Sunday would’ve seen a happy coincidence of the Week and a celebration marking the birthday of the patron saint of the environment, St Francis D’Assisi, as pet owners took their furries to St Ignatius church, Jacob Circle, to be blessed.

Meanwhile our eternal bugbear shall we say (in keeping with descriptiveness using animal imagery), the 150-year-old Byculla Zoo is once more in focus, with revamp plans submitted by the BMC now reduced from around Rs433 crore to Rs150 crore. The new theme being ‘Living Together,’ reportedly, some exotic species are to be introduced, among them zebras and Humboldt penguins. If all goes well the new look-zoo will apparently be ready by August 2014. The operative part being ‘if all goes well’. It doesn’t take regular visitors to the zoo to tell you how excruciating the wait has already been and not just for a rehaul. The Greens were up in arms because earlier plans had reportedly proposed changes to the heritage botanical gardens, which thankfully didn’t go through.

Then, there is the upkeep of existing animals. Introducing new species might well be part of the plan but what of better care of the animals already around, especially the larger ones?

The poor aging rhino Shiva has reportedly been celibate for 26 years — political agendas ensured that he could not be shifted to Ranchi in 2005, and apparently, the Patna zoo refused to send a female rhino over in 2008. With bureaucracy triumphing over his needs time and again, activists fear Shiva might die celibate, being around 35 years, with life expectancy for captive rhinos bordering on 40 years. If revamp plans do go through, there are fresh red flags — where to house the bigger creatures because of their age — not just Shiva, the Himalayan black bear, Jamuna, the elephants, Lakshmi and Anarkali…?

Meanwhile, as if in serendipity with the Week, even fashion is enjoying a renewed emphasis on the animal world as inspiration — leopard and tiger prints on clothing is old hat, every accessory store worth its reputation, whether high street or luxe, is currently stocking necklaces, bangles, bags and the like inspired by both owls and elephants, not to mention other interesting motifs from the beastly menagerie — alligators, snakes, what-have-you.

But it takes more than trends in fashion and the arrival of one week to make us sit up and take adequate note of that which sustains us. Care of the environment, the creatures and plants who share this planet has to be a work in progress not a one-stop shop.

Yes, there’s a week to highlight conservation and preservation but for viability (both theirs and ours in the long run) both need to be practised all year through.