By IANS,
Chandigarh : Zoo animals could hope for a better future in Punjab with the government Friday announcing a scheme to facilitate their adoption, the state’s Forests and Wildlife Minister Tikshan Sud said Friday.
He said that the ‘Animal Adoption scheme’ was being initiated, keeping in view the increasing demand from animal lovers for animal adoption and also to meet rising maintenance costs of animals in zoos.
The endeavour would be to provide ideal housing facilities to zoo animals matching as closely to natural habitats as possible, the minister added.
Under the scheme, individuals, non-government organisations (NGOs), corporate houses and industrialists would be eligible to adopt animals of their choice in the zoos of Punjab by meeting stipulated expenses of food, medicines and upkeep of their houses on an annual basis.
Sud said that the department has calculated the rates for various animals for such adoptions.
Adopters of the animals will get concessions like free entry passes to zoos. They would be granted certificates of adoption and get all information on the upkeep of animals including expenditure details on food and medicines.
Sud said that such adoption schemes were already popular in the Mysore and Lucknow zoos. He said that efforts would also be made for the adopters get income tax exemption on the amount donated for the purpose.