KANGAROO DIES AFTER FIREWORKS

PRESIDENT of the Zoological Society of TT, Gupte Lutchmedial, is not convinced that meeting with the FireOne Fireworks following the death of one of their kangaroos will amount to anything.

“What will a meeting do? Stop making noise, the Government have to look at it and bring legislation. This is not about the zoo. Talking to the zoo will not solve the problem it is the noise.”

Andre Abraham FireOne’s director told Newsday his company, who did the fire works on August 31, which is believed to be the cause of the kangaroo's death, applied for and was granted a variation of noise certificate by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

He added that after the fireworks display he contacted Lutchmedial in hopes to meet with him but he did not get in contact with him. Abraham said he wanted to find a way to mitigate the impact of fireworks on zoo animals and was “very concerned” about what happened to the kangaroo.

“We need to meet so we can find a way to co-exist. Humans and animals as well,” he said.

In a media release yesterday the EMA said the National Environmental Policy (NEP) was revised by the EMA and approved by Cabinet in 2018.

“The NEP, Section 2.03 states that it is the Government’s policy that noise from all sources will be managed to ensure that the health and well-being of all citizens will be respected." Newsday was told that monitoring of noise levels for fireworks was outside of the purview of the EMA.

The release added that the EMA supports and recommends as an alternative, the importation of noiseless fireworks, which will provide a solution to the noise pollution and discomfort to animals and citizens.

According to the EMA’s Noise Pollution Control Rules, 2001, the accepted noise level for bursting fireworks between 8 am to 8 pm, which is considered peak/daytime period is 120 decibels. At night-time the decibel level drops to 115 decibels.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday, Lutchmedial said the issue was not the fireworks but noise associated with it. The volunteer head of the zoo said he was too traumatised to witness the necropsy as the animals at the zoo were “part of his team.”

A necropsy was done by the Government vets, he said and a report is expected to be given to the zoo sometime today. The kangaroo died from trauma, concussion to the head, bleeding in the brain, which can happen by fright from bouncing into a wall Lutchmedial said.

“For days this animal sit down just looking around like a zombie, like it lost all its function. I am not a vet and the animal can’t say it’s sick. The vet told us that the kangaroo died from bleeding of the brain which crawls up on you after a while. The animal was traumatised by the noise the fireworks, it was not fireworks it was “fire-noise.”

"Every animal was affected by that noise, birds just fall off their branches and died. It was a noisy display.”

Asked about noiseless fireworks, Lutchmedial suggested: “Just ban it!”

He added that while the Independence Day display was controlled, the public can access fireworks and set them off anywhere and affect animals and people alike.

“The problem is the fireworks, this affects the birds, pollutes the environment.

"There are other ways to celebrate. This thing is about noise pollution not about fireworks. Let us not lose focus. We have had fireworks for years, it was not near the zoo.

“This was 1,800 seconds of continuous noise. It is not about him, you cannot mitigate a crime. This is a crime against animal welfare.

"This has me sad, I am with the kangaroos right now. One of the other one have a limp on the leg but he is improving the vets inspected him no damage was found. These animals were bred in captivity for the zoo and trained to interact with humans. No one envisioned that the noise level would have been that high. They must be hate the zoo!”