Mysore/Mysuru: After the successful construction of hi-tech, eco-friendly and animal-friendly enclosures for primates including orangutans and gorillas out of the funds released as per the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of companies, Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) is all set to get enclosures for sloth bears.

The enclosures have come in for great public appreciation and the primates are thriving in them. The sloth bear enclosure will be built out of the CSR funds of Bank Note Paper Mill India, Mysuru (BNPM) that has already contributed money towards the orangutan enclosures. In addition, the BNPM will contribute to ring-tailed lemur enclosure.

The BNPM had contributed a sum of Rs. 70 lakh for constructing the enclosure for orangutans and will contribute an additional Rs. 99 lakh to build enclosure for sloth bear and Rs. 91 lakh for one more enclosure to orangutans. Funds to construct enclosure for  ring-tailed lemur would also be released in due course.

A proposal has been sent to Infosys Foundation seeking Rs. 3.6 crore to build near-natural enclosures for female gorillas that will be brought from Germany. The Foundation has already spent Rs. 3.3 crore on building enclosures for 14-year-old male Thabo and 8-year-old male Demba that were brought from Germany. In all, the Foundation will spend about Rs. 7 crore for the enclosures.

The foundation stone for sloth bear enclosures was laid on May 4 under the leadership of Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Chairman L.R. Mahadevaswamy. Welcoming the gesture of companies who have come forward to contribute their CSR funds that is resulting in the overall development of the Zoo, he said that contributing to the welfare of the animals would bring fame both to the companies and to the Zoo.

BNPM General Manager Dr. N. Krishnaswamy said that while the BNPM had contributed many things to the Zoo, it was ready to contribute natural enclosures for sloth bear and ring-tailed lemur.

N.G. Murali and N.A. Reddy of BNPM, Zoo Executive Director Ajith M. Kulkarni, ZAK members Gokul Govardhan and Jyothi Rechanna, Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) Chairman A. Hemanthkumar Gowda, Kannada Book Authority Chairman Nandeesh Hanche and others were present.