Chennai: Right from childhood, most of us would have wanted to raise a lion, elephant, tiger, cheetah or some other wild animal.
Well, this dream can be realised now. The only difference is that you cannot raise the animals at your home, but at Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP) in Vandalur.
In this week’s Zoo Tales, we will get into the details of the animal adoption programme of Vandalur zoo that allows people to sponsor for the food and maintenance of the animals. The adoption drive began in 2009.
Speaking to News Today, Zoo Deputy Director Sudha Ramen said the adoption programme will make people get more connect to the animals in the zoo and evoke interest to know more about them.
“People who adopt the animals at the zoo will also act as an inspiration for others to take up such initiatives. There is no age bar to take part in the adoption drive. Once people start taking care of an animal, they will get to know more about their habitat and the role they play in the environment and our officials will be more than happy to educate them. With a variety of animals available to choose, people can opt to sponsor any animal they wish,” she said.
Based on the request of the donor and the amount that is given, at times permission is given to display details about the donor or their organisation near the cage.
Speaking on the response received so far, Sudha said it has been minimal. “Despite taking several measures to create awareness among the public about the initiative, there is not much response. We hope that this improves in the future. Several measures are also being taken to make the drive more interesting,” she added.
She said the sponsorship for an animal depends on the fooder rate and is revised once every six months.
Zoo veterinarian Pa Kalaignan, who is also one of the in-charges of the adoption programme, said people can sponsor an animal for Re 1 per day. “While most people focus on the larger mammals, there are equal number of birds and other small animals that can also be sponsored. The cost of maintenance of a few birds are as minimum as Re 1 per day and for the big cats, it is Rs 1,200 per day. The sponsor for animals are eligible for tax exemption and the donors will be given a certificate about their adoption,” he said.
Actor Sivakarthikeyan recently adopted a white tigress, Anu, in the zoo which has drawn attention to the initiative. Already, actors Suriya and Karthi have adopted a few animals at the zoo.
For those interested in adopting animals, they can reach zoo biologist Sekar at 94452 28332 and veterinarian Kalaignan at 98948 82490.
FEEDING HABITS
The feed that is given to the animals decides the amount for the adoption. Have you ever wondered where does the food for the animals at the zoo come from? Well, we will get into the details about this in our next edition on 27 October.