Delhi zoo revises norms to allow 1-day adoptions

The Delhi zoo authorities are working to revise their animal adoption policy to get more residents' involvement in wildlife conservation and to allow for cheaper and shorter adoptions, officials said, adding that the new policy is likely to be rolled out this year.
The idea, they said, is to make the process affordable even for visitors who wish to take animals home for a single day — to celebrate birthdays or other occasions.
'The number of people adopting animals at present is fairly low. We are looking to change that. The idea is to make the process of adoption simpler, with people being able to adopt animals for much shorter periods — of one month, three months, six months and even a single day. Earlier, they could only do it for one or two years. Visitors may adopt an animal on their birthday. Similarly, we will encourage people to adopt animals when it is the birthday of an animal at our zoo,' Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, said.
The animal adoption programme, launched in 2022, was initially aimed at helping fund the upkeep of animals through contributions by individuals, companies and institutions. Adopters were allowed to support an animal for a minimum of one year, with incentives such as membership cards, a certificate, monthly visits, and signages featuring their name near the animal enclosure.
Despite the benefits, zoo officials admit the uptake has been limited, with only a handful of animals — including a white tiger, an elephant, rhinos, and a few exotic birds — having been adopted under the scheme so far.
Kumar said the reason for lack of participation could be the high adoption fee and that a revamped fee structure is in the works. 'We will divide the animals and birds into four to five categories and define a standardised fee for adoption. The one-day adoption fees will start at ₹100 or ₹500 — based on the category of the animal. At present, ₹600 is the lowest fee for adoption and it goes up to ₹6 lakh,' he said.
Further, the zoo is also exploring possibilities of making adoption contributions eligible for income tax exemption, which could be part of the revised policy rollout expected later this year.
Spread across 176 acres, the Delhi zoo was inaugurated in 1959 and is home to over 1,100 animals representing nearly 95 species, including endangered ones like the Asiatic Lion, one-horned rhinoceros, and Indian wolf. HT had recently reported how the zoo is also preparing for a larger revamp, with officials finalising plans for a multi-crore upgradation focused on improved animal habitats and visitor facilities, which includes glass walls and natural enclosures.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

• Hindustan Times

Forest dept inspects Bandra Fort's ‘unauthorised' renovation

MUMBAI: The historic Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, has allegedly suffered significant and potentially irreversible damage due to unauthorized repair and renovation work carried out within the sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ-IA), according to a complaint filed by Watchdog Foundation, an NGO. Concerned citizens and heritage conservationists have been raising the alarm over violations that have allegedly compromised the structural and historical integrity of this 17th-century landmark. Following up on the complaint, the forest guard in Versova carried out a panchnama of the Grade I heritage structure and visited the site on Friday to inspect for CRZ violations. Concerned citizens alleged that the renovation work being carried out at the Bandra Fort is turning out to be detrimental to its structural and historical integrity. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, who was present at the site, told HT that the fort's walls were plastered with cement and paint instead of basalt stone, marring the heritage look. 'This complaint was made four months back but a site visit was done by the forest department and Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee today (Friday) to inspect the CRZ violations.' Built by the Portuguese in 1640, this iconic watchtower, overlooking Mahim Bay, once served as a strategic outpost for Portuguese naval operations. It has since become a symbol of Mumbai's colonial history and cultural richness. A previous conservation initiative was spearheaded in 2003 by the Bandra Bandstand Residents' Trust under the leadership of former member of parliament Shabana Azmi. It successfully stabilized the structure and prevented further erosion-related damage. That project followed internationally accepted conservation principles and aimed to preserve the fort's authenticity. However, recent unauthorized renovations have undermined those efforts, said Pimenta. 'Walls have been plastered and sections of the structure repaired using methods deemed inappropriate for a Grade I heritage site. According to heritage regulations, no work – whether development, redevelopment, or even cosmetic repairs like plastering or painting – can be undertaken on such protected sites without explicit, written approval from relevant authorities, including the Mumbai Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the Heritage Conservation Committee, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the BMC,' added Pimenta. According to Pimenta, the unauthorised renovation work, including plastering and structural modifications, has altered the original character and materials of the fort, compromising its authenticity. He alleged standard conservation protocols were ignored, resulting in the loss of significant architectural features that form the fort's historic identity. 'Such violations not only constitute a breach of legal protections but also represent a grave cultural and civic failure. Experts warn that if such practices continue unchecked, Mumbai risks losing other irreplaceable heritage landmarks to similar negligence.' The forest guard in Borivali told HT that while prima facie there were no violations and a detailed report on the visit will be submitted next week.

Time of India

a day ago

• Time of India

Century-old school struggles without permanent teachers despite good admissions

1 2 Mangaluru: The plight of the century-old Tenkayedapadavu Higher Primary School is different from that of usual govt schools in the district. Despite seeing good admissions, the school lacks permanent teachers. The aided school has been functioning without permanent teachers for the last two academic years. After the retirement of the headmaster, Krishna Naik, in May 2022, the govt did not appoint any teachers here, making it a teacher-less school since then. Currently, it is managed by guest teachers appointed by the SDMC and one through the Jnana Deepa programme. Prasad Kumar M, an SDMC member of the school, shared that the school will complete 100 years in 2026. In the past, the school had a total of over 500 students, which has now reduced to 54, studying from Class I to Class VII. "However, despite having a substantial number of admissions, the education department is unwilling to provide us with one or two permanent teachers. After the retirement of Naik, Sannolli UD, a teacher at the Sri Niranjan Swamy Aided Higher Primary School, Sunkadakatte, was deputed for a few days a week. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo After the retirement of the permanent teacher at Sunkadakatte, she stopped coming, and from last year, there has been no permanent teacher. Due to competition from English medium and private schools, the number of students has been declining year by year. In 2023-24, the number of students was 62, in 2024-25 it was 57, and in 2025-26 it was 54. "We have reached out to our MLA, DDPI, and BEO in the past, but no positive response was received. This academic year, we are again trying our luck to get a permanent teacher and save this school from closure. There is hope for more admissions if the govt appoints permanent teachers," said Kumar, adding that they have plans to open a kindergarten. With no permanent teachers, the school is managed by three guest teachers. With the cooperation of the SDMC and parents, two guest teachers have been working since 2018-19. They are paid by the SDMC, where money is collected from parents and locals. One teacher has been working under the 'Jnana Deepa' project of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP). "Whenever we approached govt officials, they stated that according to govt education policy, it does not appoint guest teachers for aided schools," said Kumar, demanding that aided schools too need to survive. HR Eshwara, BEO, South, said that the office has sent information about teacher-less aided primary and high schools to the govt. The process of teacher recruitment and appointment is ongoing, he added.

The Hindu

a day ago

• The Hindu

Chittoor gears up for Yoga Day fete, 9 lakh likely to participate

The district administration is geared up for the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations scheduled at the Mesanical Grounds here on Saturday (June 21). Over 9 lakh people are expected to take part in the massive programme across 5,808 habitations in the district. Addressing the media here on Friday (June 20), District Collector Sumit Kumar stressed on the need for proper planning and prompt execution of the event. Lauding the officials, NGOs, and public groups for the State-led 'Yogandhra 2025' campaign, the Collector urged officials not to lose momentum and ensure that each venue has adequate facilities, with top priority to drinking water, snacks, toilets, and medical camps. Mr. Kumar instructed the officials to mobilise the yoga participants based on the capacity of each venue. He said that the public address systems, photo, and videography were mandatory, and the footage should be uploaded on the official app by 10 am of the same day. The Collector directed the special officers at the mandal level, municipal commissioners, and MPDOs, to participate and oversee arrangements. He said that the public representatives from village to district levels should be formally invited to give a fillip to the event. The programme will be held at the Mesanical Grounds from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. The Collector said that Yoga instructors will be posted at all the venues to guide the participants.