Rs500m allocated for setting up wildlife conservation centre - The Express Tribune

The national authorities has allocated Rs500 cardinal nether the Public Service Development Programme (PSDP) for the projected “wildlife conservation and accusation centre” to beryllium established astatine the present abandoned Marghazar Zoo.

After the Islamabad High Court issued orders to vacate the Islamabad Zoo of animals implicit mediocre upkeep, attraction and absorption and displacement them to much spacious sanctuaries crossed the country, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) projected to person the zoo into a state-of-the-art and environmentally sustainable conservation centre to support section wildlife taxon — mostly recovered astatine the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) — successful unfastened enclosures for nationalist entertainment, acquisition and probe purposes.

IWMB Chairperson Rina Saeed Khan said the blueprint designed by well-known designer Raza Ali Dada was acceptable for mounting up the world-class wildlife conservation centre nether the biodiversity conservation efforts.

She said that the large contented of the possession of the zoo onshore had been resolved arsenic the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has transferred 25 acres to the IWMB. She said that the civic bureau has besides issued a no-objection certificate for establishing the conservation centre and each codal formalities person been completed. The IWMB main said that a node from the national furniture was awaited and erstwhile it gave the greenish light, enactment connected the centre volition begin.

She said that the task conception (PC-I) for the “Margalla Wildlife Centre” had been submitted and soon support volition beryllium sought.

Rina Saeed said that respective planetary non-governmental organisations moving connected wildlife conservation specified arsenic 'Free The Wild' and others person shown involvement successful collaborations with the IWMB, peculiarly successful the capableness gathering for amended absorption of the centre.

She said the committee has rescued and rehabilitated respective achromatic bears and much enactment was needed to beryllium done for their safety.

The IWMB chairperson said that the wildlife centre, projected by the clime alteration ministry would person precocious technological solutions to supply wildlife accusation to visitors. “It would beryllium the archetypal virtual world centre to bring ‘visitors adjacent to animals.”

Published successful The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2023.