• Title :  Annual Report 2018-19
• Author :  Officer-in-charge , Mysuru Zoo
• Pages :  79
• Publisher :  Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru

The narrative, presented in a coffee table book form and printed on art paper, enriched by nearly 250 multi-coloured pictures, comprising 32 sections including a brief history of the Mysuru-based Zoo, established in 1892, serves to remind the readers about the vision of the founders and mission of the city’s never-to-skip tourist destination namely connecting people with fauna with their habitat not only across India but also different countries in specific regions of the world. The larger close-up pictures (eight) of the zoo’s inmates (single-horned rhinoceros,  giraffe, leopard, chimpanzee, guar, simians) are sure to trigger an urge in Mysureans to visit the zoo and feel connected with the inmates of their favourite choice, jostling with nearly forty lakh visitors in a year, of whom more than one-third are children.

Including particulars of names of all the species sheltered in the zoo along with coloured pictures in the book would have been welcomed by the readers. Not including that information may be                            for the reason of letting the visitors experience the delight in person, apart from the fact that it would have to be a priced publication.

The tabular statements and charts, which may not appeal to lay public accounting for the major part of the annual footfall, are sure to answer most of the FAQs by the discerning fraternity deeply interested in the management aspects of the establishment with a revenue of 2,803 lakh during the year of report.

The personnel discharging their duties and responsibilities of managing the zoo by providing reasonable comfort, care and hospitality to the speechless species shifted from wilderness to wellness have been revealed along-with names and designation in the report, an unusual                             practice.

The basis information about the zoo (in Section 6), the largest of nine zoos of all                     dimensions across Karnataka, including telephone numbers, e-mail id and website services serves to interact with the zoo management and also plan the visit to the 157 acre place, hosting 152 species without any hassles. The tables with common names of the inmates in the zoo and their scientific terminology from pages 58 to 62 should be welcomed by students of Biology in particular and science in general.

School-bound children, with facility of free entry once a year or so on Children’s Day, may be facilitated to read the report, both before their visit to the zoo and post-visit, can be expected to nurture a deeper organic relation with the zoo and its prized inmates, as an integral part of their learning journey which their parents may have missed.

— BRS