Trivandrum : The Zoological & Botanical Gardens

[Ajaypp]

Originally Posted by ASGeorge

Cheetah cubs introduced to the public

Ahem, leopard cubs, not cheetah cubs.

[ASGeorge]

Originally Posted by Ajaypp

Ahem, leopard cubs, not cheetah cubs.

[emmesk]

Yann Martel had spent a lot of time in Thiruvananthapuram zoo during his Indian visit in 1996.

The then zoo director Mohammed Sali remembers Martel as a ‘backpacker’ who visited the zoo every day from Ponmudi, where he stayed those days.

“It was during 1996 or 1997. I remember him approaching on an evening to do research on zoo animals. A lot of foreigners used to approach us with this demand. Since I had some free time, I accompanied him to the zoo,” said Sali, who is now enjoying his retired life at Vattiyoorkavu.

“Those days, monkeys were kept in Island Park, an island in the pond. We used a wooden raft to reach the island to feed the monkeys. Martel too came with us those days. He was also keen to study about the behaviour of the hyena,” said Sali.

Incidentally, Sali has not read ‘Life of Pi’ and was unaware that hyena, orangutan and tiger are the major animal characters in the story.

Source

[Tri Man]

Originally Posted by emmesk

Yann Martel had spent a lot of time in Thiruvananthapuram zoo during his Indian visit in 1996.

The then zoo director Mohammed Sali remembers Martel as a ‘backpacker’ who visited the zoo every day from Ponmudi, where he stayed those days.

“It was during 1996 or 1997. I remember him approaching on an evening to do research on zoo animals. A lot of foreigners used to approach us with this demand. Since I had some free time, I accompanied him to the zoo,” said Sali, who is now enjoying his retired life at Vattiyoorkavu.

“Those days, monkeys were kept in Island Park, an island in the pond. We used a wooden raft to reach the island to feed the monkeys. Martel too came with us those days. He was also keen to study about the behaviour of the hyena,” said Sali.

Incidentally, Sali has not read ‘Life of Pi’ and was unaware that hyena, orangutan and tiger are the major animal characters in the story.

Source

At last one indian paper reported the truth..........our Ma@#% pathtrams are sleeping as usual.

[ajithv]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Carmel students to adopt five peacocks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The members of Nature Club of Carmel Girls Higher Secondary School have shown a rare gesture of compassion towards five peacocks in the Trivandum Zoo.

On Friday, in the presence of museum and zoo minister P K Jayalakshmi, the students will adopt the birds. "This is the first time birds are being adopted. It's not something new to sponsor animals, but the students' bid is something unique. We contacted the zoo authorities when the girls wanted to adopt an animal. Since peacock is the national bird and appeals to girls, we opted in favor of peacocks," said the school authorities.

According to Lissy Mary John and Nirmala M, teachers in-charge of the Nature Club, adopting peacocks would not only help the better upkeep of animals, but also enhance students' understanding of the importance of conserving flora and fauna. The students have contributed Rs 8,000 to provide veterinary care and food for the adopted birds.

"When the kids came to me requesting permission to adopt peacocks, I remembered my childhood days. This is the best way to spread the message of man-animal co-existence. Around 55 people have died in Wayanad district alone in the past five years as a result of man-animal conflict," said minister P K Jayalakshmi.

The minister added that the ministry is in the process of framing an adoption policy which will enable individuals and organizations to adopt zoo animals for a period of time.

...

[ajithv]

Source: City Kaumudi

[ajithv]

Akash, the two-year-old male lion who has, quite literally, limped back to a normal life, will soon bid goodbye to the Thiruvananthapuram zoo.

As part of an exchange programme the lion, who was nursed back to health from the brink of death, will be given over to the Thrissur zoo.

Good recovery

Not all that long ago, there was even talk that Akash may be subject to mercy killing, given that his limbs were paralysed. “There was a time when the small lion could not even move. Now, he can stand and he can move about. Initially, we had introduced him into the lion enclosure with his family. However, his father started behaving in an aggressive manner towards him. It was then that we decided that we can’t risk having Akash here. Also, a lion is a long-standing demand from Thrissur,” a zoo official said.

To Thrissur

Along with Akash, a pair of African grey parrots, a pair of silver pheasants, and a pair of small Indian kites will make their way to Thrissur. In return, the city zoo will get a pair of common sand boa and a pair of Indian crested porcupines.

[ajithv]

image hosted on flickr


© svs_orion @Flickr

[ASGeorge]

Source : Kaumudiflash

[ajithv]

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo to procure modern medical equipment

The city zoo is poised to procure sophisticated medical equipment to increase the quality of healthcare it affords its animals.

Scheduled for purchase, among other things, under the Rs.25-lakh project were a colour Doppler scan machine, a multi-parameter monitoring device, advanced microscopes, and a tele-pathology facility.

“The new ultrasound scanner would help us make more accurate diagnosis of various ailments of animals. The mutli-para monitor is inevitable when we anesthetise an animal and carry out a surgical procedure. At that point, the simultaneous tracking of various medical parameters is critical. Right now, we make do without any such facility,” a zoo official said. The tenders submitted under this project would be opened in about 10 days.

Garbage problem

The city zoo continued to battle the twin headaches of garbage and plastic. Despite the zoo being a so-called plastic-free zone, the fact that the zoo had engaged an agency to cart away plastic and other waste from the sprawling campus spoke volumes of the menace.

One zoo official told The Hindu that, of late, some visitors to the Museum and Zoo had started using the waste bins on the campus as regular, wayside garbage dumping points. One day, zoo officials even stumbled upon a large bagful of animal waste, including body parts of prawns, tucked away in a waste bin. “This has led to an increase in the presence of stray dogs in the compound. It is only a matter of time before someone gets bitten. If the dogs manage to sneak into the zoo proper, things would only get worse,” an animal keeper said here.

With the onset of the summer heat, zoo officials are also finding it increasingly difficult to convince visitors to leave plastic water bottles at the entrance to the zoo. What with a water shortage beginning to make its presence felt, the drinking water fountains installed inside the zoo sometimes run dry. “As if this is not enough, some visitors can be seen tipping the water tank in these fountains to get water to wash their feet. We are at the receiving end of a lot of disgruntlement from visitors because we actively search their belongings to detect plastic items,” a zoo official said.

Zoo officials said there had been a reduction in the number of animal deaths due to plastic consumption. The situation could turn if the current problems continued.

[ASGeorge]

Source : kaumudiflash

[RajeshVR]

Cool Sight: On a hot day, the floating fountains at the lake inside the zoo in Thiruvananthapuram city are a refreshing sight.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram

[ASGeorge]

The city zoo may soon be home to the world’s heaviest snake species Anaconda.

Negotiations have commenced with Sri Lanka regarding the transfer of anacondas from that country. Zoo Director K. Udayavarman told The Hindu that since the animal would be moved from another country, foreign trade norms had to be taken into account. This could delay the already complicated process of exchanging animals between zoos.

Vets’ meet
“Some months ago, at a workshop at Darjeeling, zoo directors and veterinarians from several States and a few neighbouring countries got together. There, we met our Sri Lankan counterparts and this idea was aired then,” said Mr. Udayvarman.

The director received a mail recently, following up on the meeting and he is optimistic about the Amazonian giant finding a place in ophidian collection of the city zoo.
“First we need to get the consent of the Animal Husbandry Department. Only then can we expect to get clearance from the Zoo Authority. Then we proceed to the final tier of this process, which is to apply for the foreign trade certificate,” said Mr. Udayavarman.

He expects the procedure to last at least six months. Since the discussions are at its nascent stage, there is no clarity on how many anacondas will be brought in.

White tiger
The proposal to bring over white tigers was still alive, he said. “Animal exchange is not an easy task. But dialogue is still open with the Vishakhapatnam zoo and with the New Delhi Zoological Park as well,” said the director.
Source

[ASGeorge]

Inauguration of activity center, battery car & 3D theater today at 2pm,museum premises

[25Dude25]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Courtesy: The Hindu

[25Dude25]

Source: Madhyamam

[25Dude25]

Holidays bring a flood of visitors to zoo, museum


The visitor statistics at the City Zoo and Museum complex are seeing a steady growth with the start of the summer holidays. The complex has not lost its charm as people from all over the state and other states too are enjoying its sights and sounds. Surprisingly, the number of foreign visitors and school children has been the highest this vacation.

This February and March had seen a record collection from the Zoo and Museum, which was over Rs 35 lakh. According to Director of Zoo and Museum K Udayavarman, compared to the previous years, this summer vacation is seeing a heavy rush of visitors. In fact, the number people visiting the complex has doubled. The complex has also turned a place for people to spend their time with family and friends.

Compared to last year’s figures, there is a sharp rise in the arrivals this year. Last year, the number of visitors, including children, was less than 30 lakhs.

“Last year too we had visited the City Zoo, but we never get bored whenever we come here. This time, we saw many new inmates that were not there during our last visit. We are regular visitors to the City Zoo and Museum,” said Reena Murali, a resident of Thiruvalla.

“In addition to the regular visitors, children from schools are also making their way to the complex. It is certainly a tour season for the children as the schools bring them here as part of their leisure trip or study tour,” said Udayavarman.

Bigger rush is expected in the coming days as the vacation is on till next month.

“Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is certainly a spot that must be visited. The city residents who wish to take a day’s break from the regular routine and spend time with their children must rush to the complex,” said Rajesh T R, a city resident.

Source: Indian Express

[draswinmohan]

Children on board the Battery operated cars at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
[IMG]image hosted on flickr
8726934885_3417b50a7d_b by aswin80, on Flickr[/IMG]

[remobecks]

The anacondas are coming, this time real


Thiruvananthapuram zoo gets Central Zoo Authority nod to bring over the snake species

Six anacondas are slithering their way into the capital city. And unlike the four earlier ‘reel’ versions, this time, all the six are real.

Barring any last minute snafus, the Thiruvananthapuram zoo will be the proud owner of the six anacondas within a few months.

The six reptiles — one of will would be a male — are scheduled to be brought over from the Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka.

Last week, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) gave its nod to the zoo’s proposal to bring over the anacondas.

There is a catch though; the zoo must now scramble to get the clearance for this proposal from the Directorate of Foreign Trade and from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) within six months.

“The CZA’s sanction will expire in six months. We must get the snakes over before that,” the zoo vet Jacob Alexander told The Hindu.

Though the anacondas will be housed in the zoo’s reptile house, they will initially be placed in quarantine—a legal requirement.

According to Dr. Alexander, the quarantine can last anywhere between three weeks to six months. During this time, the anacondas will not be put on display. Later, they will be shifted to the enclosure which now houses the Indian Rock Python.

New enclosure planned

Given the sizes to which anacondas grow, the zoo will have to find a much larger enclosure for them in two to three years.

Plans are already afoot to put in place such an enclosure. “Anacondas have this reputation for being man-hunting, vengeful creatures. One easily associates the behaviour of these snakes with what is shown in the movie series ‘Anaconda.’ One reason why we wish to bring over these snakes is to dispel myths about their behaviour patterns,” the zoo vet explained.

The zoo has many other animals on its wish list, most notably the white tiger. It has also written to the CZA asking for the Nilgai, barking deer, rhesus monkey, painted stork, white ibis, and the red jungle fowl.

The zoo’s efforts at bringing over giraffe and zebra have been stymied by the fact that there are no zoos in the country that have these animals in surplus.

This also appears to be the problem with zoos in South Africa.

Even if the zoo is eventually able to find a counterpart in some country willing to part with giraffe and zebra, bringing these animals over — particularly the giraffe — will be a challenging and expensive proposition.

[satsk3]

Rock Garden coming up & Renovating 120 years old garden @ Museum
Small Waterfalls, Landscaping and pavillion etc are also coming up