Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday announced that the Government would be setting up a Centre for Zoo Sciences very soon. It would assist recognised Indian zoos as well those in South Asia in their development and management on scientific lines.
The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 69th annual conference of World Associations of Zoos and Aquariums, where World Zoo managers and experts have gathered in the National Capital to attend the four-day conference, that kicked off on Monday.
Incidentally, Javadekar’s announcement came on a day the Darjeeling Zoo became the first zoo in the country to be selected for the international Earth Heroes Award beating over 300 zoos worldwide. Also known as the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, it serves as the central hub for India’s Red Panda programme.
Earth Heroes is annually awarded by the Royal Bank of Scotland in collaboration with the British Government. According to the Director of the Zoo, Dr Alankar Jha, the award has been given for its key and proactive role in promoting conservation and preservation of Himalayan fauna and flora besides specializing in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions. Darjeeling Zoo was established in 1958 and is one of the largest high altitude zoos in the country at an elevation of 7,000 ft.
It is one of the very few places that have successfully bred some of the rarest animals in the world in captivity including the majestic Snow leopards, the Tibetan Wolf and the Red Pandas, the Director said.
Such efforts would further receive a boost with the proposed Centre for Zoo Sciences which will have facilities for teaching, research, experiments and sharing of ideas as in universities. This, according to the Minister, can bring about a turnaround in the functioning of the zoos and to infuse scientific and technical culture in the present system and make our zoos more visitor friendly.
According to sources in the Environment Ministry, the proposed centre is visualised to act as a Technical Advisor to the Central Zoo Authority and provide expert help to the states and Union Territories in ‘ex-situ’ conservation breeding of endangered species.
There will be facilities to conduct applied and field research in ‘ex-situ’ wildlife conservation and maintenance of long-term National Studbooks for endangered species in Indian zoos in the proposed center.
It is also envisaged to function as a referral centre for captive wild animal housing, zoo designing, master planning, disease diagnosis, visitor facilitations, marketing and other related issues for all the zoos in the country as well as for the zoos of the South Asia, they said.
Training courses for in service zoo personnel and stakeholders in India as well as for zoo personnel of South Asian countries will be organised at the centre.