Authorities of the state-run Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata are feeding goat meat to its carnivorous animals with the suspension of buffalo slaughter at a municipal abattoir, leading to a sharp rise in the facility's food expenditure, a senior official said on Monday.

The slaughter of buffalo and other bovine animals has been suspended in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) slaughterhouse in Tangra since the BJP came to power in the state, as meat suppliers to the zoo alleged their licences have not been renewed by the civic body, forcing them to procure the significantly more expensive goat meat.