Salem Kurumbapatti zoo inmates await foster parents’ support

COIMBATORE: The desperate wait for ‘foster parents’ continues unabated for the birds and animals at Kurumbapatti Zoological Park in Salem.

Nearly three months after the rolling out of ‘adopt your animal’ scheme, there are no takers yet. As per the scheme, the sponsors can adopt an animal for fixed pay from a day to as many days as possible.

The name of the sponsor will be displayed before the enclosure of the adopted animal or bird in the zoo and as well in the notice board. Even though the adoption scheme has been implemented successfully in Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur and Children’s Park in Guindy in Chennai, the project is yet to get the required pampering from visitors to the Salem zoo.

“Several enquiries are coming for the adoption scheme; however they do not translate into sponsors. Only an educational institution has sponsored a white peacock for three months and another sponsor is in talks now. As there are hardly any takers, fresh attempts will be made to popularise the scheme. The scheme will get better once bigger animals are brought to the zoo,” said Dr R Selva Kumar, Assistant Conservator of Forest and Assistant Director of Kurumbapatti Zoological Park.

The Kurumbapatti Zoological Park, which remained a small category zoo, was recently elevated into a medium category zoo. Spread over an area of 131.73 hectare amidst reserve forest area at the foothills of Servarayan Hills in Salem Forest Division, the zoo attracts over 2.5 lakh visitors annually.

There are 222 animals of 22 species housed in the zoo, which is the second largest in state next to Vandalur zoo. Here, the animals are kept in a simulated naturalistic environment. “All expenses incurred towards maintenance of the zoo are met by adequate funding by the government. Yet, the adoption scheme was brought with an aim to sensitise and promote the concept of wildlife conservation among people,” the official said adding, “for adopting an animal or bird, a tax exemption is provided. The adoption scheme may not have evinced interest due to absence of larger animals that catch the fancy of visitors. We are attempting to woo the corporate and industrial sector to take up adoption as a CSR activity.”

The zoo authorities are also mulling over reducing the cost of adoption to encourage more people. Curiously, visitors turnaround reduced slightly after the entry ticket fee was hiked to Rs 50 per person.