Patna: Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday urged the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to start a system of ranking zoos in the country on different parameters.
Sushil was speaking at the inaugural function of a 4-day raining programme for middle level zoo officials from across the country. CZA has organised the programme, in which participants from 30 zoos, including Lucknow, Mysore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gangtok and Itanagar, are taking part.
At the workshop, CZA member secretary D.N. Singh and senior scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, Pradip Mullick and Parag Nigam, among others will impart training. Several topics,like captive animal health care in zoos, use of advanced software for record-keeping and protocol and procedure for conservation of breeding programme of endangered species in the zoos will come up during the programme.
"At a time when cities are being ranked on the basis of sanitation and states on the basis of ease of doing business, we should also look into the possibility of ranking zoos of the country on different parameters," Sushil, who also holds the charge of environment and forest department, said.
The deputy chief minister also came up with a few suggestions for the zoos. He said special leaflets should be given to visitors to create awareness about sanitation in the zoo premises. He said such brochures could be of great help to visitors, giving information about the animals and unique features of the zoo they are visiting. He asked officials to explore the possibility of zoo guides to disseminate information about the zoo and its animals to visitors. "If we can have such guides in museums why not at zoos too," Sushil asked.
The deputy chief minister urged workshop participants not to make the training programme a one-way flow of information. He asked them to exchange ideas so that participants are wiser about the best practices at various zoos in the country.
CZA member secretary D.N. Singh had announced that the authority wanted to conduct a similar training programme in Patna for zoo directors from across the country and Sushil ensured him the state government would give its nod whenever such a request is made.
Environment and forest department principal secretary Tripurari Sharan and principal chief conservator of forests, D.K. Shukla, were others who spoke at the inaugural function.