• Near-natural enclosures for primates to cost Rs. 3.6 crore
• Animal adoption fee at all Zoos in State increased

Mysuru: The administration of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) is back on track with new proposals to build animal enclosures with the help of corporates, raking in the moolah by increasing animal adoption fees and also getting new animals from foreign shores under the International Animal Exchange programme.

At the 149th Governing Council Meeting chaired by Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Chairman L.R. Mahadevaswamy at Wild Animals Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli in Mysuru recently, it was announced that work is on to procure new animals from different countries under International Animal Exchange Programme.

The meeting decided to send a proposal to Infosys Foundation worth Rs. 3.6 crore to build near-natural enclosures for gorillas that have been brought from Germany. The Foundation has already spent Rs. 3.3 crore on building enclosures for 14-year-old Thabo and 8-year-old Demba that were brought from Germany. In all, the Foundation will spend about Rs. 7 crore for the enclosures.

Mahadevaswamy told SOM that both Thabo and Demba are males and female pairs will join them soon and the Zoo will go ahead with captive breeding. “We have now sent a proposal for Rs. 3.6 crore to Infosys and it is willing to sponsor the cages that will resemble the natural environment,” he said.

In addition, the Bank Note Paper Mill India, Mysuru (BNPM) that had contributed a sum of Rs. 70 lakh under its CSR initiative for constructing the enclosure for orangutans will contribute an additional Rs. 99 lakh to build enclosure for sloth bear and Rs. 91 lakh for one more enclosure to orangutans, he explained.

While 17-year-old male Merlin and 13-year-old female Atina arrived from Singapore Zoo, five-year-old male Afa and 7-year-old female Minnie were brought from Malaysia Zoo.

Animal adoption fee

The meeting also decided to increase the animal adoption fee at all Zoos across the State. From Jan. 1, 2022, the adoption fee for an Asiatic elephant will cost Rs. 3 lakh per year as against the existing Rs. 1.75 lakh. Adopting an Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger and giraffe will cost Rs. 2 lakh from the existing Rs. 1 lakh. Likewise, the adoption fee has been increased from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1,50,000 if one wants to adopt a chimpanzee, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and orangutan. Rs. 75,000 has to be paid instead of Rs. 50,000 to adopt zebra and African hunting cheetah.

Apart from animals, the adoption fee has also been increased for other mammals, reptiles and also birds. The rates have been changed from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 and from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 15,000.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Vijaykumar Gogi, Principal Secretary (Forests) Forest Environment and Ecology Department, Sanjay Bijjur, ZAK Member Secretary B.P. Ravi, Members Gokul Govardhan, Jyothi Rechanna and others attended the meeting.