The entrance to the Assam state zoo-cum-botanical garden

Nov. 28: Come winter and it is time for thousands to throng the Assam state zoo.

But not many know how the zoo came into existence way back in 1957.

The answer is available in a yet-to-be-published book named Inside a City Forest by Manoj V. Nair, a forest officer who was posted at the zoo as an assistant conservator of forests in 2005, before moving to Simlipal tiger reserve as deputy director.

The book, which is in the final stages of printing, recapitulates the natural history of the campus and depicts its rich diversity of wildlife. It also lays stress on the emerging theme of urban biodiversity conservation. The 130-page book contains 500 colour photographs of flowering trees, butterflies, insects, birds and mammals.

Nair traces the birth of the zoo to the 64th session of Indian National Congress at Pandu. He says a few animals and birds had been displayed in a small exhibition meant for the entertainment of delegates at the session.

According to the book, “The star attraction of the collection and a favourite among the visitors was Spotty, a leopard. When the meeting came to an end, the animals had to be housed somewhere.” It was the problem of finding accommodation for the animals that led to the idea of setting up a zoo. A suitable and scenic place was then found near a village called Japorigog bordering the Hengerabari reserve forest.

“On a plot of land partly acquired from the villages and partly from estates and the reserve forest, a facility to house those animals came up,” says the book.

Spotty and her friends formed part of the initial collection when the zoo was established in 1957 and thrown open to the public in 1958.

The zoo contains a patch of natural forest over 100 hectares in area, which serves as a fabulous repository of animals, birds and other mammals.

“The zoo is an island, where this patch of relatively undisturbed forest is surrounded on all sides by the man-modified urban landscape of Guwahati,” Nair says in his book. It is a large patch by city standards and no doubt a safe place for wildlife, thanks to the compound wall that precludes biotic interference.

Narayan Mahanta, divisional forest officer, said the book will portray the richness of urban wildlife and be of immense benefit to researchers and students. “It will create awareness among people,” he said.

Mahanta says the book is also important considering the current focus on the emerging theme of urban biodiversity conservation.

“This documentation of biodiversity is the first step towards the process of garnering active support for conservation of not only the zoo, but also many such patches of wilderness in the city,” he said.

The book also has useful tips for those who want to become city naturalists. Nair advises that there are 10 important things a naturalist must do in order to acquire more knowledge. Some of these include planting and caring for at least one tree every year, having facilities for feeding birds in your frontyard, providing boxes for birds to nest around your house, growing flowering plants that help attract butterflies and others.

The book also has some lessons for the authorities on better conservation.

“In an increasingly barren city, the process of a number of species becoming locally extinct at an alarming rate often goes undocumented. It has become imperative for urgent and intelligent intervention backed by science,” if we are to see man and wildlife thriving together, the book says.