For the second time within a short span of time, Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty has donated a sum of ₹20 lakh to the Mysuru zoo for its upkeep.
Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni said she made the donation on September 25 and added that her gesture in this difficult time for the zoo over the COVID-19 pandemic was invaluable besides being an inspiration for others.
The zoo management and the Zoo Authority of Karnataka have expressed their gratitude to Ms. Murthy for her generosity.
The Infosys Foundation chairperson had donated ₹20 lakh on May 11 this year.
The zoo had been shut down for over three months because of the lockdown over the pandemic scare and its revenue was badly hit over zero visitors. Even after it was reopened, the footfall is not like the pre-COVID-19 era.
With falling revenues not just in Mysuru zoo but across zoos in the State, the Zoo Authority of Karnataka launched a mobile app for donations and adoption of animals for improving their income towards the maintenance of animals and meeting other expenditures besides paying the staff salaries.
Since the lockdown, more than ₹3 crore had come in the form of donations and animal adoptions at the Mysuru zoo with Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar taking special interest, urging the people to donate for the zoo’s maintenance until the situation returns to normality.