Develop Central Zoo as an educational hub

Kathmandu, July 12: With the ever - passionate participation of students in the activities of the Central Zoo, the need to develop it as an educational hub has been underscored.

During a brief talk, Central Zoo Chief, Sarita Gyawali, stressed on the need for formulating a separate policy for operating the zoo and developing it as an educational hub.

Gyawali said the zoo currently sees participation of 400 children in its activities, thereby bringing forth the need to turn it into an educational hub. If the government formulates a policy it will be easy to manage the zoo, she added.

The Central Zoo Chief further said that arranging regular visits to the zoo for the children would help enhance their positive attitude towards the animals and different species.

Around 400 children are currently involved in feeding the animals and clean-up activities inside the zoo.

The Central Zoo has an annual budget of Rs 80 million. Around a million people visit the zoo every year. The zoo spends Rs 15 million for feeding the animals and provides 10 kilos of buffalo meat to tigers and eight kilos of paddy, pumpkins and carrots to elephants on a daily basis.

The zoo – spread over 6 hectares of land property – is home to 900 animals including different species of birds. The government is preparing to shift the zoo to Surya Binayak in Bhaktapur for a wider space.

The Central Zoo was established as a private zoo by the then Prime Minister, Juddha Shumsher Rana, in 1932 and was opened for public in 1956.

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