Improving the zoo: Female elephant wanted, preferably for free

CDA wants new elephant, lions for zoo, but seems disinclined to pay for them.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) wants to get a new elephant for Marghazar Zoo from Sri Lanka --- but they want it for free.

The authority will formally request the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Islamabad to donate a female elephant for the only zoo in Islamabad, said an official on Friday. “The civic body will write to the High Commission within the upcoming week to ask for the donation of a female elephant for Marghazar Zoo. A similar request will also be made to South African authorities for the provision of a pair of lions,” CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid confirmed.

On May 2, 2012, Marghazar Zoo lost its sole female elephant, Saheli. Following the death of Saheli, 22, which was also donated by the Sri Lankan government, the 32-year-old male elephant fondly called ‘Kawan’ was left alone.

When asked if the authorities refused to donate the animals, the spokesman said tenders would be floated for the purchase of these animals, and that the plan to request a female elephant from Sri Lanka was months old but decision to formally approach the Sri Lankan and South African governments was made after the chairman was briefed over the issue during a visit to the zoo.



During his visit on Friday, the CDA chairman was once again informed by Environment Member Dr Kazim Niaz that work on Phase-II of the remodeling of the zoo would commence after the completion of tendering. The chairman was told the same on December 5, 2012 when he last visited the zoo.

The new CDA management has already put the Rs140 million phase-II on the backburner for reasons unknown.

The civic agency halted the process, not because of shortage of funds, as the former chairman CDA had approved an initial Rs20 million for phase-II, for which five of 11 firms that showed interest in the project were prequalified by the authority.

The Rs 1.4 billion Marghazar Zoo remodeling project started back in 2007 and was approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in 2008.

The remodeling project was divided in five phases. Phase-I was completed in 2008 at a cost of Rs 19.38 million, with two new cages being constructed.

Under phase-II of the remodeling of zoo, six new enclosures to house animals including black bears, brown bears, lions, leopards and nilgai are supposed to be constructed.



It was not the first time that authority pre-qualified firms to execute phase-II of the five-phase project, as same exercise was conducted by the CDA in 2008 and again in 2009.

In 2009, the CDA announced a successful firm, but due to paucity of funds, work never started. Recently, after pre-qualifying five firms, the CDA again halted the project.

At present, the zoo covers approximately 25 acres, which would be extended to 82.24 acres under the remodeling project. Some 70 animal enclosures would be added in the process.

Under the project, an animal hospital, kitchen, mountains, a desert, plains, wetlands, a snake house, an aviary and some exotic spots were supposed to be constructed within a year after the inception of this plan in 2007.

But five years on, only five per cent of the work has been done by CDA in shape of phase-I

Ramzan Sajid said new management of the authority was keen to develop and expand the existing facility. He said that in the past, they had tried to execute phase-II of the project, but unavailability of funds hindered progress. “Work on phase-II would be initiated at the earliest after completing the tender process.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.