It’s A Zoo Out There: Why Delhi’s Facility Is Struggling To Be Centre Of Attraction

New Delhi: The capital's National Zoological Park recently had its membership suspended by a global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums for six months due to concerns over the welfare of its solitary African elephant, Shankar. And while zoo officials asserted that Shankar wouldn't remain alone for an extended period, as diplomatic channels were being utilised to procure two female companions for him from Botswana and Zimbabwe, the suspension of the membership by World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) has come as a major embarrassment.
Even as a potential permanent termination of membership by WAZA looms, the episode has brought to light the grim state of affairs at Delhi Zoo, which is in urgent need of a comprehensive overhaul as it falls significantly short of not only its international counterparts but also other renowned domestic zoos, such as those in Mysore and Chennai.
Senior officials attributed the zoo's shortcomings to a lack of financial resources, estimating that a minimum of Rs 400 crore would be required to thoroughly renovate and modernise it to the standards of other WAZA members, such as San Diego Zoo in the United States, Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom, Singapore Zoo, Toronto Zoo in Canada and Tiergarten Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria.
With an entry fee of merely Rs 80, in sharp contrast to the fees of up to and exceeding Rs 5,000 charged by its international counterparts, and limited capital support, experts emphasised that Delhi Zoo— the sole zoological park in India under the jurisdiction of central govt —had a paltry budget of Rs 30 crore, barely more than double its annual earnings.
Once home to over 250 species, now reduced to a mere 97, Delhi Zoo has a formidable task ahead in reclaiming its former grandeur. This includes upgrading its 60-year-old enclosures, rectifying infrastructure, devising strategies to provide a more engaging and enriching visitor experience, augmenting its species count, and enhancing its planning and social media presence.
The disparity between the practices at Delhi Zoo and the world's premier zoo practices couldn't be starker.
Dr Sanjay Shukla, member secretary of Central Zoo Authority (CZA), pointed out that while many acclaimed zoos operated on a business-centric model with high entry and activity fees, India strived to maintain affordability to ensure accessibility for a large population. He added that many practices in Delhi Zoo, such as prohibiting food and beverages inside, were implemented because the primary purpose of zoos in India was education rather than amusement.
Shukla also said that the process of modernising Delhi Zoo had been initiated, with the goal of bringing it on par with other exemplary Indian zoos like Mysore Zoo. He cited the signing of an MoU with Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) or Vantara to engage their consultants for the modernisation of Delhi Zoo, and recent meetings with top ministry officials to discuss enhancing the visitor experience through the inclusion of a walk-in aviary, aquarium, nocturnal house, primate enclosure and butterfly park. "GZRRC has among the best facilities with global standards, and we can learn from them. Their team has already started basic work," said Shukla.
Other officials, however, argued that it was unfair to compare Delhi Zoo with the standards of its global counterparts. "We can't hold them to the same yardstick. Visitors here have limited spending capacity, and we cannot expect to increase the entry fee from Rs 80 to Rs 1,000. Besides, in case of an overhaul, we need to ensure that the project is sustainable, meaning there must be an inflow and outflow of capital; only then can we create such a facility. A world-class zoo can be made in Delhi, but where would that sustain? Money would be required to maintain those assets, and we can't levy charges like Singapore Zoo, San Diego or Chester," said a senior official from CZA on the condition of anonymity, while also adding that the enclosures in Delhi Zoo were still not that bad and met the standards set by CZA.
Officials also added that an overhaul would require increasing the overall standards, which would also mean well-paid keepers and researchers. "Keepers in those zoos are well-paid and taken care of. They are mostly wildlife researchers, while here we have a baseline requirement of 10th pass to be a zookeeper. Besides, we need to see why zoos like Mysore or Chennai are successful. It's because they operate in a way that there is a society that takes care of each staff member, be it a keeper or a sanitation worker... thus, everyone feels that they are stakeholders. At Delhi Zoo, too, there is a need to develop a sense of ownership," said the official quoted above.
Meanwhile, some zoo officials pointed out that Delhi Zoo had previously hosted several exotic species that it now sought to keep again, including polar bears, arctic foxes, kangaroos, cheetahs, giraffes, and a rare monkey collection. However, with the formation of CZA in 1991 and its guidelines mandating that 90% of species in a zoo must be Indian, the share of exotic species was suppressed. The policy was later revised to increase the exotic species share to 25%.