Indian government on Monday announced setting up of a centre for zoo sciences to assist recognised Indian zoos as well as zoos in South Asia in their development and management on scientific lines. ‘We will have a Centre for Zoo Sciences,’ environment minister Prakash Javadekar said, adding there will be facilities for teaching, research, experiments and sharing of ideas like in universities.
‘We are thinking of setting up a Centre for Zoo Sciences in New Delhi to bring about a turn around in the functioning of the zoos and to infuse scientific and technical culture in the present system and make our zoos more visitor friendly,’ he said. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 69th annual conference of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums here. World zoo leaders have gathered in the national capital to attend the conference to be concluded on 6 November. Talking to PTI, officials in the ministry said the proposed center is visualised to act as a Technical Advisor to the Central Zoo Authority and provide expert help to the states and Union Territories in ‘ex-situ’ conservation breeding of endangered species.