Mysore/Mysuru: With all the nine Zoos in the State facing severe financial crunch due to dwindling revenues and other factors triggered by COVID-19 crisis, the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) has appealed the Industries Minister to provide 0.5 out of the 2 percent CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds to Zoos for maintenance and animal adoption schemes.

ZAK Chairman L.R. Mahadevaswamy presented a memorandum in this regard to Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday.

The memorandum said that a total of nine Zoos and Biological Parks including the famed Mysuru Zoo and Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Biological Park. 

The revenue earnings of Mysuru Zoo and Bannerghatta Biological Park is enough to maintain them. But the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in revenue losses to all the Zoos, with the Government ordering a shutdown of all Zoos for nearly three months from Mar.15, 2020. As such, the Government must come to the aid for maintenance of Zoos by extending financial support.

With no signs of an increase in revenue earnings at least for now, the Government should ensure that 0.5 out of the 2 percent CSR fund (that is a quarter of CSR fund) be diverted to ZAK for maintenance and other expenditures every year. The Government should also ensure that necessary adjustments are  made in the forthcoming 2021-22 budget, the  memorandum said.