Coimbatore Municipal Corporation may lose control of VOC Park Zoo
COIMBATORE: Nearly 57 years after it was established, the maintenance of VOC Park Zoo may be handed over to the Zoo Authority of Tamil Nadu by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has rejected an appeal filed by the civic body regarding the cancellation of recognition.
In an order dated January 5, 2022, the CZA flagged issues of non-compliance by the city Corporation in the maintenance of animals and facilities at the 4.5-acre facility established in 1965. The CZA's Deputy Inspector General of Forests (HQ), Akanksha Mahajan, in the order, said the recognition was being cancelled as per provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Corporation Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara told The New Indian Express, "Coimbatore is the only place in the State where a zoo is run by the city corporation. We have written a letter to the member secretary of the Zoo Authority of Tamil Nadu requesting to take over the zoo on a revenue-sharing basis. They have a better experience as they run five zoos in Tamil Nadu."
The Corporation lacked expertise in maintaining the zoo, he said.
Raja Gopal added, "Running a zoo is a technical matter. We must send a report to the CZA once every few months. Experts of the authority know better than Corporation staff on what should be fed to the animals and how much space should be provided to them."
Confirming the developments, V Karunapriya, member secretary of the Zoo Authority of Tamil Nadu, told The New Indian Express that they received the request letter from CCMC a few days ago.
When asked if the VOC Park Zoo would be relocated, Karunapriya, who is also the Director of Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, said, "I have to discuss this with the Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu Shekhar Kumar Niraj and take a decision."
Sources said the decision over the relocation of the zoo or upgrading the amenities at the existing facility might be known only after the request is accepted by the State authority.