Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released the “Vision Plan: 2021-2031” for Indian zoos. This plan was released during a two-day National Conference for zoo directors & veterinarians in Gujarat.

Highlights

• The two-day conference was organized by Central Zoo Authority and was hosted by Sardar Patel Zoological Park, Kevadia in Gujarat.
• This Vision Plan was launched with the aim of upgrading Indian zoos to global standards.
• It also focuses on conserving local birds and animals.
• On the occasion, a coffee table book compiling 75 species from 75 zoos was also launched as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Mitra awards

At the conference, Mitra awards were also presented under four categories. These four categories are- veterinarian, animal keeper or zoo frontline, outstanding contributions by zoo director or curator and biologist or educationists.

Vision Plan (2021-2031)

Vision plan is a strategy to transform Indian zoos. The 10-year vision plan was released after extensive data mining & consultation with the stakeholders. The plan was adopted with the aim of giving a direction towards ex-situ conservation approaches across India. It also mentions 10 pillars of change for Central Zoo Authority (CZA) & Indian zoos. It sets some specific targets and timelines for achieving the ‘Call to Action’ that will be realized in 10 years. These pillars comprise of strengthening ex situ conservation of endangered native species, management of rescued animals and optimizing animal welfare.