Ex-Situ updates - Central Zoo Authority

FROM THE DESK OF THE
MEMBER SECRETARY
The current issue of Ex-Situ Updates primarily focuses on ex-situ conservation
of bears. As we know, the 21st International Conference on Bear Research and
Management is scheduled to be held at New Delhi from 26 to 30 November
2012. The conference is hosted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests,
Government of India, and the Central Zoo Authority is one of the partner
organizers, along with the Wildlife Institute of India and the Wildlife Trust of
India. The conference will bring together bear biologists from across the world.
One of the outcomes of the conference will be a long-term action plan for
the conservation of bears in situ as well as ex situ. This issue highlights the
status and strategy for ex-situ conservation of bears initiated by CZA and the
action taken to implement the ban on dancing bears and their rescue and
rehabilitation by the recognised facilities of the CZA. It also looks at the rescue
of bears and their rehabilitation into the wild.
From this issue onwards, the Central Zoo Authority seeks to focus on one Indian
zoo in each issue, including its past, present and future activities. In this issue,
the Marble Palace Zoo, Kolkata, established in 1854 (after the Barrackpore Zoo,
established in 1803 and not in existence now) has been focused on. This is one
of the oldest existing zoos in the country. Although the zoo has not been able to
develop at the same pace as other zoos in India, it has its own heritage value. It
is a living icon in zoo history, reminding us of how zoos began and how far we
have come. It is an appropriate example of the zoo movement in India.
Current updates on various actions and activities undertaken by the Central
Zoo Authority and through various committees and expert groups have also
been highlighted. Action is being taken to initiate closure of some of zoos
that have not been able to comply with standards despite having been given
ample opportunities to improve. A number of activities are being undertaken
by various zoos to meet the various targets of the UN Decade on Biodiversity.
I, along with other World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) members
of South and South-east Asian countries, participated in the knowledge café
on the UN Decade on Biodiversity organised under the banner of the WAZA, at
the IUCN World Conservation Congress from 4 to 19 September 2012, at Jeju,
Korea. It focused on implementation of Aichi targets 1 and 12 . My presentation
highlighted the present activities, and planning for cooperation in respect of
Aichi target 1, which reads, “by 2020, at the latest, people are aware of
the values of biodiversity and steps they can take to conserve and use
it sustainably”, and target 12 reads, “The extinction of known threatened
species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of
those most in decline, has been improved and sustained”.
(B.S Bonal)
NATIONAL ZOO POLICY
PREAMBLE
1.1 The growing awareness for
nature & wildlife conservation
has made zoos a popular
institution. Estimates indicate
that 10% of the world's
population visit zoos every year.
There are about 350 animal
collections in India, which are
visited by more than 50 million
people annually.
1.2 While there is a history of
scientific interest, conservation
and welfare of captive wild
animals in the country, many
zoos have evolved from
menageries and private
collections, and most zoos until
the last two decades were set
up mainly for entertainment and
recreation. As wildlife resources
were abundant in the past,
scientific knowledge about
the behavioural and biological
requirements of animals did
not receive adequate attention,
with the result that scientific
management of wild animals in
captivity has evolved slowly.
1.3 The need for making
conservation as one of the main
objectives of management
of zoos was realized by
Government of India soon
after independence and the
Indian Board of Wildlife made
important recommendations in
this regard. The Government
set up an Expert Committee
on Management of Zoos
in Noverber,1972 and its
recommendations were
accepted in June,1973. The
recommendations are relevant
even now for improving the
management of Zoos. The
National Wildlife Action Plan of
1983 again emphasized the role
of ex-situ conservation in national
conservation efforts. However,
because of varied ownership
patterns and divergent nature
of animal collections not much
was achieved.
(contd on Page 17)
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