Don't take zoos as centres of recreation

New Delhi, Apr 1 (UNI) From recreation to conservation. That is the new mantra the Central Zoo Authority has adopted in re-orienting its approach to standardisation of zoos.

''Times have changed the way animals are looked upon. Most of the zoos were created in the days of Rajas and Maharajas whose sole motive was to create a centre for recreation for themselves and the public.

''Gone are those days now. There is a lot of awareness about animal rights and an increasingly felt need to simulate natural habitat for zoo animals,'' says Central Zoo Authority Member B R Sharma.

A visit to a zoo should not be just a source of satisfying one's curiosity and a means of momentary enjoyment.''Rather it should be informed by a sensitivity towards their natural needs,'' he told UNI.

Mr Sharma differentiates between good display of animals and a good zoo.

A zoo in which animals may be kept in a way as to ensure maximum access to and interaction with the public may be good from the point of view of recreation, but not from the point of view of conservation.

The Singapore zoo is said to be one of the most attractive zoos in the world, but the fact was that the evaluation of its quality was based on the good display given to animals. They do not have much variety of animals and birds but give a good display to limited number of them, said Mr Sharma.

''In some of such attractive zoos of the world you may find chimpanzees having tea with visitors, but it was unplatable from the point of view of a conservationist, an animal rights activist and a wildlife lover, '' says Mr Sharma.

In a country like America there are 200 good zoos, but there are a thousands which should be closed.

In India, very strict norms are followed for setting up a zoo.No country in the world has a body like the Central Zoo Authority. It has given 51 standard norms for setting up zoos.

These are based on the 1998 National Zoo Policy which defines a zoo's objectives as conservation and breeding, acting as source of conservation education, studies and research for conservation of threatened animals, and giving shelter to rescued wild animals.

For example, he said the Delhi zoo was the most important centre for conservation of Manipur deer. Of a total population of 130 wild and an equal number of such deer in captivity, the Delhi zoo has got 64 deers.

The Delhi zoo was also a centre for conservation of the red jungle fowl, he said.

Replying to a question, he said there was a proposal to turn the Delhi Zoo into a centre for research on wild animals.

The Junagarh zoo was breeding Asiatic lions, and new vulture breeding centre were now being set up in four different zoos.

So, Mr Sharma, said zoos in India had quite a different role to play in the protection and conservation of wild animals.

It is for this reason that a plan has been drawn up to expand or relocate a number of zoos in the country.

Several zoos across the country were in the process of being relocated or reconstructed to give a better habitat to the animals.

There are about 188 zoos and out of these about one and a half dozen were being relocated or improved in situ, he said.

''The CZA continues assessing the conditions prevailing in zoos in several parts of the country and derecogises them accordingly, and asks them to carry out improvements,'' he said.

At present, zoos which were being relocated include all the zoos in Rajasthan including Kota, Jaipur and Udaipur, Rajkot in Gujarat, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Kohima in Nagaland and the Andaman zoo.

In all these zoos, space for animals had become inadequate besides other factors due to which, decision had to be taken to relocate them, he said.

Mr Sharma said since its inception, the CZA had received about 500 application for setting up zoos, out of which it had given permission to only 188, which includes 21 circuses.

As many as 321 zoos were either derecognised or were not allowed to come into being at all, he added.

Mr Sharma said the work of relocating will be done by state governments, with the CZA giving technical and scientific assistance.

UNI