Welcome to the jungle: Karachi zoo to get a facelift

'One of the major problems faced by the zoo is making sure that the animals are fed properly,' KMC director

KARACHI:

A committee has been set up by the Karachi commissioner to change a few things around the city’s zoo. One of their plans includes giving the Karachi zoo a facelift.

While presiding over the committee’s first meeting at the zoo on Wednesday, Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui discussed what should be done to make the zoo a better place for students and families to visit.



The meeting was attended by members of the zoo committee. This includes Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) Rehan Khan, planning and development director Syed Muhammad Shakib, Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association president Dr Abdul Rashid Bhutto and zoo director Muhamamd Faheem Khan.

Siddiqui said that the Karachi zoo, previously known as the Gandhi Gardens, was a landmark of the city. He added that an administrative mechanism would be set up linking the KMC, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Karachi University’s zoology faculty.

Animal farm

According to KMC’s director Rehan Khan, one the major problems faced by the zoo was making sure that the animals were fed properly. He claimed that contractors threatened to stop supplying them with meat, fodder and bird seed every now and then. He said some proposals should be made to resolve this issue.

Another problem, he added, was that most of the posts at the zoo were vacant. “Around 80 per cent of posts for zoo keepers and sweepers are vacant,” he said. “People should be appointed to these posts as soon as possible so cleanliness levels at the zoo can be maintained.”

KU’s Prof Dr Muhammad Zaheer Khan said that the academicians and students were ready to work on the zoo and improve it but only if proper facilities were provided to them.

“The natural history museum is in a terrible state,” he said. “There is work to be done on cages, especially for the endangered species. It is our top most priority.”

The raven calls

Discussing the death of two pumas at the zoo, the zoo’s director said that in the first three months are very diffiafor the young ones. He added that during this period no one should touch the babies.



The commissioner, however, said that notices will be sent to respective bodies about the maintenance and breeding records along with prioritisation of a medical budget.

The lion sleeps tonight

KCCI’s Faisal Mukhtar suggested that sponsors and advertisements could be a great way to not only earn revenue but increase awareness about the zoo and animals in the public sector. Siddiqui added that corporate social responsibility was another component that could be adopted to work into effect with KCCI’s efforts.

The committee, it was decided, will hold a meeting at least once a month to keep track of the zoo’s progress. “We want more people to visit Karachi so that the revenue earned can be spent on it,” said Siddiqui. “We are also planning on maintaining separate accounts for the aquarium and Safari Park so that not everything comes under the management of the KMC.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2014.