The Chamundi Animal Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation centre set up by the Mysuru zoo at Koorgalli village, off Mysuru-Hunsur Road, will be formally launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 20.
This is the second rescue centre in the State after the one at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru. “The work on the rescue centre had been completed and some animals have already been shifted there,” said B.P. Ravi, Executive Director, Mysuru zoo.
The rescue centre was proposed here as the zoo lacked space to accommodate animals brought for rehabilitation on its premises. The centre has come up at Koorgalli village, where 113.21 acres of land had been allotted to the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) for setting up the country’s biggest Gaur (Indian bison) conservation breeding centre.
The State government had sanctioned Rs. 3.5 crore for the centre and the zoo had funded the remaining amount from its resources.
The Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) had recently approved the Mysuru zoo’s first master plan which included the rescue centre, the Gaur conservation centre, and the Conservation Centre for Indian Wolves, Dholes and Lion-tailed Macaque.
The rescue centre will facilitate rehabilitate rescued and injured wild animals brought to the zoo. Four tigers were shifted to the rescue centre. The rescued or captured animals, mainly carnivores like tigers, leopards, were being housed in a specially-built enclosure at the zoo hospital in the absence of an independent rescue centre.
A hi-tech lab for veterinary care of wild and captive animals is also coming up at Koorgalli as the Institute of Wildlife Veterinary Research (IWVR), Kudige, Kodagu and the Mysuru zoo joining hands to accentuate wildlife veterinary research.
