BENGALURU: First it was actor Darshan who was appealing to the public on matters of animal adoption. Joining him in a way are celeb couple Raghu Mukherjee and Anu Prabhakar. The actors were recently appointed honorary ambassadors to the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), with the aim to attract visitors back to the zoo as and when it re-opens. In addition, they are looking to spread awareness on animal adoption and are hoping to receive some contributions for welfare of the animals.
Anu says it was R Gokul, Chief Conservator of Forests, who suggested that the couple ‘endorses the park’. “He is a good friend of Raghu, and felt that we need to help in reviving the glory of the zoo. BBP is among the very few national parks in the country which is self-sustained. The zoo runs on the revenue generated from ticket sales,” says Anu, who visited the space, along with Raghu and her child, recently. “Post the first wave, the number of people visiting the zoo came down.
Owing to the second wave, they shut down in April, which has put the zoo in a financial crunch. After Gokul explained this to us, we decided to step in. Darshan did a great job of reaching out to people. As public figures, we are hoping to help spread the word.” Terming BBP as a ‘jewel of Bengaluru’, Raghu says, “The zoo didn’t have a giraffe until recently when it was brought from Mysuru zoo. They also have plans to bring in a chimpanzee, but all of this needs resources.”
Anu adds that the zoo comprises 350 staff members whose salaries need to be paid. “The zoo requires over `1 lakh per day to feed the animals. While Darshan is focusing on all the nine zoos of Karnataka, our attention will only be on the one in Bengaluru,” says Anu, adding, “Even a small contribution will make a difference.”