Ex-Situ updates (March 2012) - Ministry of Environment and Forests

Photo credit: Himanshu Malhotra
Clouded leopard at Sepahijala Zoo
developmental needs of the zoos.The
request was gladly accepted by the
Government. Over last 20 years more
than 150 crores have been provided
by the authorities as grant to various
zoos for improvement of animal
housing, development and upkeep
of infrastructure and upgrading and
creation of health care facilities. An
expert group has been set up in the
authority to advise the zoos on animal
enclosure designing and approving the
enclosure designs submitted by the
zoos to the authority. The evaluation
teams, consisting of zoo experts
visit the zoos periodically to tender
advise to them on all matters related
with zoo planning and conservation.
Meetings of zoo directors, zoo vets,
educators and biologists are held
annually to expose them to new
concepts of zoo management and to
get their feedback on the approach
being adopted by the authority.
Two week capsule courses are also
organized in alternate years for the
zoo directors and zoo supervisors for
providing specialized inputs to
them on different aspects of zoo
management. One zoo director and
one zoo veterinarian are sent every
year to Jersey Wildlife Preservation
Trust, U.K for attending the three
week course on ‘Conservation of
Endangered Species’. Periodically
some zoo supervisors are also sent
for advanced training abroad. Capsule
training programmes for zoo keepers
are also organized every year in every
region of the country. To begin with, the
Recognition of Zoo Rules concentrated
more on routine animal maintenance
issues but with the rise in the capabilities
of the zoos greater emphasis is being
put on higher issues like master
planning, conservation breeding,
tranquilization and visitor education.
The Recognition of Zoo Rules were
amended in 2009 to provide required
thrust on these issues. Minimizing
the impact on the natural landscape
of the area is also an important
component of the rules now.
Augmenting the health care
facilities
Central Zoo Authority has been giving
the highest priority to the animal
health care facilities. Substantial
investments have been made for
providing appropriate equipment and
literature to the zoo hospitals but high
rates of mortalities continue to plague
the zoos. A lack of experienced
veterinarians continue to be a serious
limiting factor. The authority therefore
decided to involve the eminent
veterinary institutions in the health
management of zoo animals and
established Regional Health Centres
by providing grants to carry out
investigation and diagnosis of diseases
in zoo animals and provide prophylactic
treatment. Grants were given to
Khanpara Veterinary College, Assam,
Department of Veterinary Sciences,
Agriculture University, Bhuvaneshwar,
Madras Veterinary College, Chennai,
Anand Veterinary College and the
Indian Vetenary Research Institute.
The arrangement has proved quite
successful. Veterinary workshops
were organized alternate years in
different places like Indian Veterinary
Research Institute 1996, Delhi 2003,
Chennai 2010.
Conservation of endangered
species
Conservation of endangered species
has been quite high on the agenda
of the authority. With the objective
of providing proper orientation to
zoos of the country the following
workshops were organized with the
help of international experts:
1. General- Zoo vision workshop
1994, Future strategy workshop
Hyderabad 1998 & The Conservation
breeding & Genetic Management
workshop Delhi 2000.
2. PHVA workshops- Lion Tailed
Macaque (1993), Indian Lion (1993),
Sangai, Swamp Deer (1995), Red
Panda(1994) & Ghariyal(1994).
Central Zoo Authority has already
identified priority species for conservation
breeding programmes and the
programmes of breeding 20 species
have already been launched. To provide
technical support to the programme,
research projects have been
launched for several species and field
biologists placed in various zoos.
Genetic management
Central Zoo Authority with the help
of CSIR and Department of Science
& Technology, GOI has established
the Laboratory on Conservation of
Endangered Species at Hyderabad with
DNA and Cryopreservation facilities.
All the animals to be used in the
conservation breeding are being
subjected to detailed DNA mapping
to ensure that no related animals are
allowed to breed.
CZA while providing the zoos of the
country a proper direction, has also
done well in accommodating and
rehabilitating 400 lions and about 100
tigers rescued from circuses. Sloth
Bears held with madaris have also
been successfully rehabilitated by the
Bear Rescue Centre, Agra. Rescue
Centres for leopards have also been
established.
Central Zoo Authority has undoubtedly
done very well in bringing up the
zoos of the country from the dire
state of management to a state of
preparedness for taking up the role of
centres of conservation.
The author is the founder Member Secretary of
CZA and a retired Additional Director General of
Forests (WL) Government of India.
7