Delhi Zoo Launches Adoption Scheme for Animal Lovers

© AFP 2023 / JEWEL SAMADPeople visit the National Zoological Park in New Delhi on April 1, 2021, on the first day of its reopening over a year after being closed to the public due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
People visit the National Zoological Park in New Delhi on April 1, 2021, on the first day of its reopening over a year after being closed to the public due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. - Sputnik International, 1920, 04.10.2022
Subscribe
The Delhi Zoo is one of the chief attractions in India's capital and home to around 1,100 animals, mammals, birds, and reptiles of around 92 species, including big cats, snakes, bears, deer, elephants, star tortoises, striped hyenas, and many others.
India’s National Zoological Park, also known as the Delhi Zoo, has launched an animal adoption scheme, granting animal lovers the opportunity to sign up to pay for animal care.
The zoo's director, Dharamdeo Rai, who started the adoption scheme, told Sputnik that the main purpose of the initiative was to engage people in wildlife conservation.
"We are encouraging people to directly contribute to the wildlife conservation process. Calling them the 'Green Warriors', people adopting animals at Delhi Zoo will get featured on social media and other promotion platforms," Rai said.
"The adopter will be given an ‘adoption membership card’ through which a free entry to the zoo will be allowed to them along with four other people, four times a year," Rai explained.
While the most expensive animals for adoption are lions, tigers, rhinoceros, and elephants that cost INR 600,000 ($7,369) per year, adopting a leopard costs INR 360,000 ($4,421) whereas hippopotamus and jaguars cost INR 300,000 ($3,684).
African Cheetah - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.09.2022
WATCH: Media Provides First Sight Of Cheetahs Brought From Namibia Before Release By PM Modi
Other options include an Indian wolf at INR 180,000 ($2,210) per year and an Indian bison or gaur at INR 225,000 ($2,763).
Meanwhile, the cheapest rate for adoption has been set for birds, starting from INR 700 ($8.60).

Delhi Zoo authorities have already started to get calls from people wanting to adopt: "so far, two rhinos of INR 600,000 each have been adopted by [the] Indian Oil corporation," Rai commented.

The official also shared that they introduced this scheme after studying the experience of other wildlife parks and zoos across the world that successfully run similar schemes.
"A similar adoption scheme has been currently run by Dehradun Zoo, Kolkata Zoo and Nandankanan Zoo as well, in India. Now with this scheme launched at Delhi Zoo, we are expecting a rise in the annual footfall which is around 2.5 million," the top zoo official added.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала