A sum of ₹16 lakh a day is needed to maintain all the State zoos. This includes the feeding cost of animals, staff salaries and other expenses. Since reopening, the zoos were getting less than 1,000 visitors a day throughout the state.
The newly-opened Hampi zoo, which mobilised ₹1 lakh through animal adoptions last year, received a contribution of ₹10 lakh during the lockdown.
Since reopening on June 8 the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) to think about launching an Android mobile application for raising contributions. This is in view of the unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
As the zoos were grappling to sustain themselves over steep fall in revenue, the ZAK, which has already sought a special grant from the government, is developing the app to be launched on Google Playstore where anybody can make a donation to the zoo of their choice and get a virtual certificate from it acknowledging their gesture.
The zoos are run solely on gate collections which had dried up for over three months due to coronavirus-induced lockdown. Domestic and global tourism was badly hit, affecting tourist arrivals.
“Until the situation becomes normal, we want more animal lovers and companies to contribute generously to help sustain the zoos. To help the public reach the zoos effortlessly, the app with multiple features has been proposed. It will make animal adoption simple.”
Mr. B.P. Ravi, Zoo Authority of Karnataka
