HYDERABAD: Zoo workers will get a pay hike from December, forest minister Jogu Ramanna has announced.
Addressing a huge gatheringat the Nehru Zoological Park here on Tuesday on the occasion of Zoo Day celebrated as part of Wildlife Week, Ramanna said, “Zoo workers work very hard to maintain the place. In recognition of their work, we have decided to increase their pay and a decision on the quantum of the hike will be taken in December.”
He said an agreement had been made between the Hyderabad zoo and zoos in other cities to facilitate mating between rare breeds. “We have signed an agreement with various other zoos to get the animals there to mate with the animals at Nehru Zoological Park here. A crocodile will be brought from Bilaspur zoo and a female white tiger from Indore. We also wrote a letter to Mysore Zoo authorities to bring their female chimpanzee here,” Ramanna added. “We will send male white tigers and lions from here to other zoos.”
Ramanna inaugurated two Auro plants on the zoo premises. He planted ‘Jammi Chettu’ (Prosopis Cineraria), the state tree of Telangana, to mark the occasion. As part of the zoo’s 52nd anniversary, a zoo carnival with a march-past by personnel in animal costumes and mimicry performances were arranged. The carnival also featured dance performances by students dressed in animal costumes.
Nehru Zoological Park is one of the most visited destinations in Hyderabad. It was opened to the public on October 6,1963. The zoo occupies 380 acres of land. The minister named the newly-born rhinoceros as ‘Ramu’. The calf was born to Saraswati and Suraj on October 4 and has an elder brother named Sai Vijay. At present, there are four rhinos, one female and three males, in the zoo.