The Practice of Destruction of Animals for the Teaching of Practical Zoology in West Bengal, India : It's Negative Impact

This is well known to everybody that the existence of each species in an ecosystem in a food chain is very important to maintain the balance of an ecosystem of any area. The practice of destruction of several animal lives during the hours of practical classes of Zoology has been doing by different Colleges and Universities of West Bengal, India.

# 2

It is beyond doubt that learning of science subjects is incomplete without practical demonstration, and the dissections are important to grow the knowledge of the students of Zoology about the different anatomical features of different animals. But it is also true that continuous destruction of the animals for study will create a massive problem in future on the ecosystem. So we have to find out separate ways of teaching. Besides some animals are killed and preserved with Formalin for practical demonstration and identification purposes.

My eyes remained filled up with tears when I was dissecting animals as a student of Zoology by thinking how much cruel attitudes shown by us to the animals. I don't know whether you are believing it or not.

# 3

Now-a days the Councils/ Universities are preparing the practical syllabus of Zoology for class-XII, B.Sc (Honours and General), M.Sc. courses where the contents of dissection is little comparatively than the syllabus was present before 5-6 years ago. It is a good news, but it will be BEST when there will be no killing of animals for teaching and learning purposes. Teaching/culture of Zoology should be restricted within such a surrounding that we must not exploit wild lives.

# 4

Animals can't protest against the killing them by men, because they have no force to protect themselves from the claw of human civilization, they have no court or justice policy by which they can stop the strangulation by man. But we should have a sympathetic mind. Just you think what are we doing for our learning purposes ? We are washing our hands with the R.B.C., W.B.C. and Thrombocytes/Platelets (Components of animal blood) of animals to learn !!!!!!!!!.

# 5

The list of animals used for the dissection purposes in the practical syllabus of Zoology followed by different academic institutions is given below (From class-XI and XII to M.Sc.) during the session 1996-2003 by which you can get an idea about the mass killing of Animals.

Class-XI and XII

Dissection of Toads ( Bufo sp.) to show different systems of the body like Digestive system, Circulatory system, Excretory system Reproductive system etc. Besides that many animals were shown in preserved condition for identification purposes.

B.Sc (Honours)

Dissection of the following animals to study the different systems of the body :

Apple Snail ( Pila globosa),

Fresh water mussel ( Lamellidensmarginalis ),

Shark ( Scoliodon sorrakowah )

Lata fish ( Channa punctatus )

Earthworm ( Pheretima posthuma)

Crab ( Carcinus sp. )

Cockroach ( Periplanata americana )

Garden Lizard ( Calotes versicolor )

Pigeon ( Columba livia )

Guineapig ( Cavia porcellus )

Grasshopper.

M.Sc.

Cattle fish ( Sepia sp. )

Scorpion.

Land snail ( Achatina fulica )

Shark ( Scoliodon sorrakowah )

Garden Lizard ( Calotes versicolor )

Honey bee ( Apis indica )

Fruit fly.

Besides the above mentioned dissections several preserved body of different animals aere used as identification purposes.

# 6

In some branches of Zoology dissection of small group of animals may require, but we should not destroy the wild lives those are very important to maintain the balance of different ecosystems. Demonstration may be given by colourfull and attractive charts as far as possible for growing interests of the candidates of Zoology to this subject. Come and work for the 'Live and Let Live' principle to allow the animal lives to stay with us. Because they have a right to live on this beautiful Earth.

Establish a second heaven on the Earth.