CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY OF INDIA SOLICITS ASSISTANCE

[Guest guest]

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*http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/03/stories/2006060311750400.htm*

*Zoo authority seeks `outside' assistance *

 

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

 

*To fund research projects on scientific management of animals in zoos *

 

NEW DELHI: Crippled by an acute shortage of technical personnel and the

consequently suffering research activities at the zoo level, the Central Zoo

Authority (CZA) established to oversee zoos across the country, coordinate

breeding programmes and captive conservation measures has decided to go

public and seek " outside " assistance to better understand and rectify the

needs of individual zoos in the country. The CZA through this latest

programme will support scientific research in zoos by granting fellowships

to individual or a group of zoos.

 

" We are faced with a lack of technical staff and keeping in view the

existing ban on recruitment of technical and scientific staff in zoos, there

has not been any progress towards basic and applied research in the field of

ex-situ conservation and scientific management of animals particularly in

the Indian zoos, " said CZA member-secretary B.R. Sharma.

 

The CZA under the programme will provide a grant of up to Rs. 2 lakh per

year (up to a maximum of three years) for local need-based zoo research

projects in the field of ex-situ conservation and scientific management of

animals in zoos. The zoos may appoint fresh postgraduates in the field of

wildlife science, veterinary science, zoology and botany to work on project

mode on the identified areas of research. Large, medium and small zoos are

eligible for the project.