Georgetown: Under the Three-Parks Initiative geared at enhancing biodiversity conservation in urban areas for the protection of Guyana’s ‘green spaces’, the petting zoo at the Zoological Park (zoo) in the city will officially be declared open to the public on Sunday. Ms. Annalise Bayney, the Protected Areas Commission officer who supervises this initiative, noted that the zoo was opened in mid- December last year in order for the animals to adjust to their new housing. However, it was felt that there should be an official launch, given that the animals are now fully adjusted to their new environment.
This initiative, valued at $32M in totality, will allow visitors free access to the facility, and is expected to contribute to its own upkeep through rental for children’s birthday parties as well as from reduced costs for food to be paid for by visitors making purchases to feed the animals.
The petting zoo will feature cows, chickens, donkeys, ducks and goats. The maintenance of these animals will, however, be less expensive when compared to the other animals in the larger zoo.
The current primary objective of the zoo is to implement international standards to promote animal welfare.
The purpose of the petting zoo is to modernise the larger zoological park, and to provide a different experience, since wild animals are normally viewed from afar, thus there is no contact.
The petting zoo will foster physical interaction with the animals and the public, particularly youths.
The zoo’s 45 species of animals are housed in enclosures that are not in line with current best practices and understanding in zoo husbandry, and are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain. Therefore, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) and the Protected Areas Commission launched the Three-Parks initiative to modernise the zoo.
Meanwhile, the zoo has established a Master Plan to augment its prime facilities and regenerate as well as develop road and rail networks in all three parks: The National Park, the Zoological Park and the Joe Vieira Park. Rehabilitation of the zoo would enable visitors to gain greater knowledge of animal species in habitats that are representative of Guyana’s eco-systems. Moreover, the zoo seeks to create new exhibit spaces that are huge enough to accommodate the animals and give them room to roam freely, as in their natural habitats.
According to the Master Plan, five projects are to be completed: the Coastal Wetlands, which will cater for the Black Caiman; the Savannah and the Mountain Highlands, which would accommodate the jaguars; the Rainforest, which will be home to the Harpy Eagle and other bird species; and World Treasures, which will hold lions and tigers.
Each habitat zone will provide information on protected areas associated with that particular ecosystem. For instance, there will be a Shell Beach information display in the Coastal Wetlands zone, and a Kanuku Mountains display in the Mountain Highlands zone. Covered climate-controlled structures will provide visitors’ comfort stations, where habitat views, small animal exhibits, and interpretive information will be afforded in relative protection from the elements.
The storyline will be conveyed to visitors through conventional graphics, artifacts, interactive elements, live animals, architecture, and landscape simulation. Visitors would be immersed in zones which are created to reinforce and illustrate the interpretive themes of animal interactions (predator/prey), symbiotic plant and animal associations, indigenous peoples, and modern human relationships with the natural world.
The Zoological Park came into existence in 1952, and affords both locals and tourists the chance to experience a diverse animal collection in a safe and accessible environment.
It occupies approximately four acres of land, and serves as a shelter for abandoned and abused animals. It is beneficial for visitors, since it provides a spectrum for educational and recreational facilities that serve to highlight information and encourage admiration for wildlife in Guyana. Given that much of the zoo’s infrastructure was designed in the 1950s, it has not since reflected present international standards, hence the Three-Parks Initiative
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