Mysuru to host conference of national zoo directors on January 18-19

Experts and officials to discuss master planning and building capacity for species management and conservation breeding at the two-day conference on January 18-19

Zoo directors from zoological gardens in India will meet in Mysuru to debate on master planning and building capacity for species management and conservation breeding when the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) hosts the National Conference for Zoo Directors on January 18-19.

The two-day conference will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel in Mysuru. The Central Zoo Authority has supported the conference, whose overall management will be handled by officials of the century-old Mysuru zoo.

Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Karnataka Forest Department will inaugurate the conference at 9 a.m. in the presence of Dr. Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, Raj Kishore Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Karnataka Forest Department, B.P. Ravi, Member Secretary, Zoo Authority of Karnataka, ZAK Chairman Shivakumar M. and Mysuru Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni.

Mr Akhtar will deliver the keynote address. Mr Kulkarni will outline the agenda of the conference and the deliberations that are going to be held during the two-day summit.

Dr Shukla will speak at the first session on ‘Zoo designing’ after the inaugural session on the topic ‘Transition of Indian zoos: Ancient to Modern’. The modern take on zoo design, designing an exclusive safari, disaster management and design measures will be presented and discussed.

B.P. Ravi will make a presentation on ‘Way forward for the development of Indian zoos’.

The second session will be on ‘Zoo Health’ in which there will be presentations on the topics – Disease Surveillance and Preventive Measures in Captive Animals; Importance of Disease Surveillance in Cross Boundary Animal Shipment and Procedure involved in Formulating Animal Health Certificate for International Animal Movements, and Veterinary Care and Population Control of Herbivores, by experts.