Akbar can't be with Sita: VHP approaches Calcutta High court over lions staying together in Siliguri zoo

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has moved the Calcutta High Court over recent accommodation choices made by the Siliguri Safari Park. Lions Sita and Akbar were brought from the Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura earlier this week and are currently housed in the same enclosure. 

According to a LiveLaw report, the plea was mentioned before a bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya and has been listed for a hearing on February 20. The VHP contends that housing 'Akbar' with 'Sita' would be an insult to the Hindu religion. The organisation has called for the name of the lion to be changed. 

Forest department officials however insisted that the lions had been named thusly before their arrival on February 13. Officials from the Siliguri Safari Park said that the official naming ceremony was awaited.

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The new members at the Bengal Safari Park are currently undergoing a mandatory month-long quarantine to ensure their health conditions are optimal before making a public debut. Recent media reports indicate that the lion couple had adjusted well to their new surroundings after being released in an enclosed area on Wednesday. 

Akbar is a 7-year-old full-grown male lion while his mate Sita is a 5-year-old lioness. A Statesman report quoting forest officials adds that the duo already know each other well and park authorities remain hopeful about a successful captive breeding effort. 

The parishad's north Bengal unit said it learnt from media reports that a lion and lioness with markings as IL26 and IL27, respectively, arrived at the Bengali Safari Park as part of an animal exchange programme and that the lioness was named "Sita". The VHP petition urged that no animal in any zoological park be named after gods and goddesses of any religion in future.

(With inputs from agencies)