We often celebrate the birthdays of our near and dear ones but have one ever thought of celebrating the birthday of a wild animalIJ This might be unusual for many but on October 3, at Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Park, first birth anniversary of baby Hippopotamus ‘Vijay’ was celebrated in order to mark the Wildlife Week.
Giving details about the baby Hippopotamus ‘Vijay’ Chief Forest Conservator cum Director of Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Park, AK Patra informed, “last year the baby Hippo was born on the occasion of Vijayadashmi and therefore we gave the hippopotamus this specific name.”
Disclosing about the parents of ‘Vijay’, Patra further asserted, “Baby hippo was born to lalu and lilli who was brought down to Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Park from Mysore, Karnataka and Nandan Kanan wildlife sanctuary, Odisha respectively. Moreover the baby hippo last year was born in the first week of October which was quite surprising for everyone. The actual birth cycle of Hippopotamus is basically 240 days but Vijay was born quite early.”
The Wildlife Week is celebrated every year in the first week of October. The basic objective of celebration is to conserve the nature and protect the wildlife for the sustainable growth and development of mankind. The survival of mankind depends upon the existence of wildlife and nature. Mentioning about the health of the baby Hippopotamus Dr Ajay Kumar of Birsa Munda Zoo said, “The baby Hippo is in good condition and we can now identify few signs of male Hippopotamus in the baby Hippo ‘Vijay’ and is kept in separate section.”
Extinction of any wildlife species creates imbalance for the entire humanity. The chapter on fundamental duties of the Indian Constitution clearly imposes duty on every citizen to protect environment. Article 51-A (g), says that “It shall be duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life and to have compassion for living creatures.”
J’hand, which literary stands for the ‘land of forests’, have abundant natural resources but today due to several illegal activities most of our wildlife creatures are on the verge of extinction.