It seems Gulab Bagh Zoo has become a Magician’s pocket, where anything put inside disappears without any trace. Out of 46 parakeets, 39 are allegedly found missing from the zoo. Gulab Bagh administration has ordered an enquiry and also intended to lodge a police complaint.

According to sources, the caretaker of the birds Murli, a zoo employee went on leave. In his absence, Ram Singh and Kalulal Bhoi were looking after the birds.

Today on the information of birds gone missing, Rahul Bhatnagar, Chief Conservator (Wild Life) and Kesri Singh Rathore, Assistant Conservator Forest reached the spot and found that total 46 such birds were in the cage when caretaker Murli handed over the charge of the birds before going on leave, but suddenly only 7 birds were found inside the cage.

Rahul Bhatnagar has immediately set an inquiry on this matter and asked the zoo authorities to lodge a FIR on this matter, though these birds don’t come under Indian wildlife protection act, but were in the possession of zoo and therefore protection and preservation of these birds is the utmost responsibility of the Zoo authorities.

In the present market, parakeets are being sold for 400 to 800 per pair, according to their colors and beauty.

Lately, Gulab Bagh Zoo is suffering from a series of mayhem, earlier there were reports of missing owls, then recently ducklings disappeared and now the parakeets. The CCTv’s that were installed to keep tab on activities of animals are gone out of order.

Question arises; Are these animals being sold or illegally trafficked with the help of some insider? Anonymous sources suspect manipulations to the zoo inventory report, to cover the mischief.