Lack of funds makes authorities helpless to run Maharajbag zoo

Main gate of Maharajbag zoo that is closed from March 15.

By Ramesh Marulkar :

Authorities to appeal to people/organisations to extend financial help as well as adopt animals of zoo to meet the expenditure

Maharajbag zoo authorities have become helpless to run the zoo due to paucity of funds. The zoo is closed from March 15 in view of coronavirus pandemic and subsequent imposition of lockdown. The authorities are now finding it very difficult to manage the show and even feed the 413 wild animals, including tiger and leopards, and birds in absence of income by way of tickets. This is for the first time in the 125-year-old history of Maharajbag zoo that such a precarious condition has arisen; the royal Bhonsle family least knowing that a day would come when wild animals would be facing near starvation situation. The authorities used to manage the zoo affairs through ticket income from tourists but now there is no income as the zoo is closed for public.

Manoj Taori and Dilip Chinchmalatpure handing over cheques to Dr D M Panchbhai for adoption of tigress and blue bull.

The wild animals and birds are being fed as the businessmen/traders are supplying materials on credit to the zoo. This credit amount is also piling up now. The monthly expenditure on mutton, fruits and feed for wild animals like one tigress Joy, five leopards, two crocodiles, sloth bear, deer, blue bulls, black bucks, jackal, chinkara etc is Rs five lakh per month. The total expenditure for one month for managing the affairs is Rs 14.60 lakh. The yearly expenditure comes to Rs 1.75 crore, including feed, medicines, security, water, electricity and others while the yearly income is Rs 1.60 crore.

A spotted deer in its enclosure. (R) Tigress Joy playing in water to beat heat. (Pics by Satish Raut)

Otherwise also, the authorities find it difficult to meet the expenditure. The management has appealed to corporates to extend financial help through CSR. D M Panchbhai, Zoo Controller and Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, will start appealing the companies like WCL, MOIL, MECL, SBI, ICICI, IDBI, Solar Explosive, Ambuja, HPCL, IOCL, Ultratech and others.

He has already submitted a memorandum to Sunil Kedar, Animal Husbandry, during DPC meeting, urging him for funds. Similarly, Dr Panchbhai will meet Dr Nitin Raut, In-charge Minister for Nagpur district, on Tuesday and submit a memorandum to extend generous help to run the zoo. H has also written a letter to Maharashtra Zoo Authority for the same purpose. Meanwhile, the authorities will also appeal to people and organisations to adopt wild animals so that the zoo can have some capital. Such appeal worked out on Monday, when Manoj Taori and Jayantg Khaladkar adopted the tigress Joy by handing over a cheque for Rs one lakh for one year to Dr Panchbhai in his chamber.

Similarly, Dilip Chinchmalatpure, Co-ordinator, Nagpur City Beautificatgion Committee and Biodiversity expert, handed over a cheque for Rs 10,000 for adopting a blue bull for one year. Fortunately, the appeal got encouraging response at the beginning. The generous persons wanting to donate amount for the purpose should contact Dr D M Panchbhai, Zoo Controller, College of Agriculture, Maharajbag premises, Nagpur (Mobile no: 9970070923) or Dr Sunil Bawaskar, In-charge Officer of the zoo, Maharajbag premises, Nagpur (Mobile: 9423636143). The people can also deposit the amount in the account: Comptroller, Dr PDKV, Akola, A/c No; 10428433344, State Bank of India, Branch Akola, IFSC Code: SBIN0002171.