Chamarajendra Zoo earmarks Rs 125 lakh to adopt Gadag, Kalaburagi zoo

Excess birds, animals may also be shifted to new zoos: ZAK chairperson

Zoological Garden (Mysuru Zoo) has earmarked Rs 125 lakh to adopt the Gadag Zoo to mark its 125th year celebrations.
She told reporters here on Tuesday that various programmes and projects have been rolled out to mark the celebrations. She said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will unveil a 20-foot-tall monument to mark the celebrations on Thursday. He will also christen a newborn elephant calf, born to adult elephants Iravathi and Abhi, as Parvathi.

The CM will also inaugurate Vanya Ranga, an amphitheatre, built on 1,100 square metre of land inside the zoo at a cost of Rs 2.3 crore to seat 500 persons. He will plant a jackfruit sapling, release a CD of a documentary on the zoo and release a postal stamp to mark the celebrations.

The zoo, which was started by Chamaraja Wadiyar X in 1892, had celebrated the centenary year in 1992.

Mallige Veeresh said that, “The Bannerghatta Biological Park, which is also a part of ZAK, has planned to replicate the adoption scheme and it would spend the same amount of Rs 125 lakh on Kalaburagi Zoo. The adoption programme starts from the planning level as both Gadag Zoo and Kalaburagi zoo are new. A few excess birds and animals may also be shifted to the new zoos apart from providing financial aid. However, shifting of a few animals may need the permission of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)”.

“ZAK has planned year-long celebrations to mark the 125th year of Mysuru Zoo and has lined up two national-level events. The Mysuru Zoo will host a national-level conference of all executive directors from zoos across India. It will also organise a national-level conference of all veterinarians from all zoos across India. Besides, there will be conservation talks, exhibition of wildlife photographs, educational programmes, outreach and inreach programmes for students,” she said.
Stating that many more new animals may be brought into the Mysuru Zoo to mark the celebration, Mallige Veeresh said that, “ZAK has sought Rs 25 crore for completion of the aquarium which was initially started by the Mysuru City Corporation; Rs 25 crore for the construction of Central Parking Hub on the Exhibition Grounds to ease vehicular traffic on the roads leading to the Zoo; Rs 25 crore for further development of the Chamundi Animal Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru and Rs 30 crore for the completion of works on the Kamalapura Zoo in Hampi, Ballari district.
The Kamalapura Zoo may be opened before the start of the Hampi Utsav scheduled to be held in November.”
She said that there are plans to provide shuttle services to visitors from the Central Parking Hub up to the Zoo to decongest road traffic.
Member secretary of ZAK B P Ravi and Executive Director of Mysuru Zoo C Ravishankar were present.