The Madras High Court on Wednesday upheld the action of the Tamil Nadu government and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in New Delhi to transfer 1,000 crocodiles from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) in Mahabalipuram to Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Gujarat.
The first bench of Chief Justice M N Bhandari and Justice N Mala upheld the decision while dismissing a PIL petition from A Viswanathan (76) of Chintadripet.
When the experts were satisfied with the facilities available at the GZRR Centre in Gujarat, supported by Reliance Industries Limited, the court does not want to interfere with the same, the bench said adding that the petitioner had not submitted any materials to contradict the decision taken by the experts.
“We are, therefore, of the opinion that the objection of the petitioner to transfer the 1, 000 crocodiles is devoid of merits and without any factual basis,” the bench said.