Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), Visakhapatnam is witnessing a steady growth in revenue and footfalls with every passing year.
About 10.73 lakh people visited the Vizag zoo during the 2018-19 financial year, while in 2017-18, the number stood at 9.29 lakh. During the 2018-19 financial year, the revenue collected by the zoo stood at ₹4.20 crore as of December 31,2018. In the year 2017-18, the revenue stood at ₹3.20 crore.
What worked
Officials attributed the success to continuous animal exchange programmes and the zoo’s natural green habitat.
IGZP Curator Yasoda Bai said that in the last one year, they were able to work out two successful exchange programmes. While the first one took eight to nine months, the second programme took just four months, she said.
“As part of animal exchange programmes, we have been bringing in various species which the zoo has never seen. Last month, we received Sarus cranes from Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysuru. The zoo was waiting for this bird for many years. They are unique as they are the tallest of all the flying birds, standing at a height of about 1.80 m. Similarly, we have exchanged wild dogs to bring in two male tigers and crocodiles,” Ms. Yasoda Bai said.
“We propose animal exchange programmes, but the approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) takes a long time,” said Ms. Yasoda Bai.
Foreigners’ delight
The curator added that many foreigners, especially from the US, Germany, and France, are visiting the zoo in large numbers.
“I have been interacting with them from time to time and receiving good feedback. What seems to be attracting them the most is the zoo being located amidst a beautiful natural setting. Moreover, we are not charging any additional fees for foreigners, which a few zoos do,” Ms. Yasoda Bai said.
World Bank project
It has been a long wait for the IGZP for the AP Disaster Recovery Project, which is funded by the World Bank. The zoo is yet to receive about ₹360 crore as part of the project, in which ₹180 crore is proposed to be spent on animal areas to improve day and night house facilities, while around ₹120 crore was proposed for restoration of buildings and visitor amenities.
“We have to restart the works by the new consultancy, as the old DPR by the previous consultancy has been scrapped,” the curator said.
