Vizag Zoo Park steps up sustainability initiatives

When ordeals take the form of pandemic-induced lockdowns, inadequate budgets and restrictions that come along with it, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) located in Visakhapatnam shifted to sustainable mode.

In tune with this, the zoo park is readying a souvenir cum outreach centre that houses a variety of eco-friendly products such as bamboo toothbrushes, organic handmade soaps, cotton herbal masks, keychains crafted out of coconut shells, etc, "The idea is to bring people closer to nature. A coffee machine and a library will be facilitated at the centre so that visitors can enjoy spending time here at their own pace," elaborates Nandani Salaria, zoo curator.

The souvenir cum outreach centre, to be launched shortly, comes much after the development of the two fodder plots -- one in six and the other in seven acres of area which is again a self-sustaining endeavour. The plots aim at feeding the in-house herbivores and have largely brought down the zoo's dependence on the contractor wherein tonnes of fodder were sourced to feed the captive animals. "But not any longer, the organic fodder plots not only aid in feeding the animals with quality food but also ensure hygiene maintenance, especially in times of the pandemic," reasons the curator.

With hardly any sizeable gate revenue being generated for over a year now, Dr. Nandani Salaria says, sustainable alternatives help in cutting costs. Besides, the focus is also on bringing in new enclosures and repairing the existing ones in the zoo. Soon, a new transparent enclosure for Green Iguanas will be set up at the IGZP. "It is basically meant for the reptiles and a walk-in kind of an enclosure which can be used for snakes as well," the IGZP curator narrates.

Additionally, the IGZP is going to get 33 animals from The National Zoological Park, including a male hippopotamus, Thamin deer, Bengal fox and Himalayan goral in exchange of wild dogs, black swan and striped hyena, among others, as a part of the animal exchange programme. Also, from Arignar Anna Zoological Park, the Vizag Zoo will receive reticulated pythons, ostriches and wolves in exchange for wild dogs and jackals. "Though it was approved in March, we could not go ahead with the animal exchange programme due to the prevailing pandemic situation," adds Dr. Nandani Salaria.