Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Challenging Buffalo Slaughter for Zoo Animals in Gujarat

Senior advocate Nikhil Goel, appearing for the petitioner, argued that slaughter of animals within zoo premises required regulation and that “simply because it is done for non-commercial purposes, the regulations don't go”.

The Wire Staff

supreme court dismisses plea challenging buffalo slaughter for zoo animals in gujarat

Representative image. Credit: PTI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (May 18) dismissed a petition challenging the slaughter of buffaloes inside two zoos in Gujarat to feed wild animals housed there, LiveLaw reported.

The petition was heard by a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, who refused to interfere with Gujarat high court’s order dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the practice that was being followed at Sakkarbaugh Zoo in Junagarh district of the state.

On January 29, the Gujarat High Court had dismissed the PIL and noted that the zoo authorities had replied to a legal notice stating that the zoo functioned under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the regulations framed by the Central Zoo Authority.

“All this compendium (of rules) is meant for slaughterhouses where slaughter is done for human consumption…Let them manage the zoo as they want to. As a matter of fact, you should have filed a PIL saying remove these zoos. That is also cruelty to animals,” Justice Mehta observed.

Senior advocate Nikhil Goel, appearing for the petitioner – an NGO named Animal Welfare Foundation – argued that slaughter of animals within zoo premises required regulation and that “simply because it is done for non-commercial purposes, the regulations don't go”.

He referred to the top court’s judgment in Common Cause v. Union of India (2017), in which the government, pursuant to the court’s directions, had identified 24 regulations governing pre-slaughter, slaughter and post-slaughter stages.

While all 24 regulations may not apply in the present case, he continued, because the meat was not meant for human consumption, the remaining regulations would still apply.

Goel argued that unlike other zoos in India, where tenders are issued for supply of processed meat or food, these two zoos in Gujarat permitted live buffaloes to be brought into the zoo premises and slaughtered there.

Slaughtering animals inside the zoo premises amounted to operating a slaughterhouse, he added, and therefore required compliance with laws including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and licensing requirements. He also argued that there is a pollution and water impact associated with the slaughter.

Meanwhile, Justice Nath said that the court was not convinced and refused to entertain the plea.

This article went live on May nineteenth, two thousand twenty six, at eight minutes past two in the afternoon.

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