Want to adopt a zoo animal? Cough up more

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: Planning to adopt a zoo animal? Be prepared to shell out more from next year. Bird and animal adoption costs at six zoos across the state will go up from January 1, 2022 to meet current maintenance charges.

This was decided at the 149th board meeting of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) presided over by ZAK President L.R. Mahadevaswamy on Wednesday. Accordingly, the adoption of each elephant will now cost Rs 3 lakh as against the earlier Rs.1.75 lakh. Likewise, the adoption charges of many animals and birds too will go up from next year.

Now, citizens can adopt any animal or bird of their choice even for a day or a month. The Safari fees in Shivamogga and Mysuru Zoo, and Bannerghatta Biological Park have also been revised.

The meeting decided to upgrade the ‘Vanashree’ cafeteria in joint collaboration with KSTDC and Bannerghatta Biological Park. Besides, a forest museum and nature museum will also be set up. Under the animal exchange programme, it was decided to bring 13 animals from both domestic and international zoos. It was also agreed to build a new Gorilla house at Mysuru Zoo out of Rs.3.60 crore expected from the Infosys Foundation and to utilize Rs 91 lakh of the total Rs 99 crore donated by RBI Note Printing Press to build the new ‘Orangutang’ house.

The total revenue of all nine zoos for the year 2020-21 is Rs 63 crore of which Rs 7 crore has come from entrance fee, and the total expenditure is Rs 56.85 crore. In addition to this, Rs 3.43 crore had been spent on the construction of 343 cages in the zoos.