State Forest Department- Mluru to Take Over Pilikula Biological Park/Zoo
Mangaluru: The Pilikula Development Authority (PDA) will hand over its over two-decade-old Pilikula Biological Park (zoo) to the Forest Department soon, for better management. The Chairman of the Authority and also the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada M.R. Ravikumar has written to V. Abhishek, Commissioner of the Authority, to transfer the zoo or the park to the department by July 31. In his June 7 letter to the Commissioner, DC Ravikumar said that the zoo should be handed over to the Forest Department for better operation and maintenance as recommended by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and also as per the direction of Rajiv Ranjan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and also Chief Wildlife Warden, Karnataka.
The Technical Committee of the CZA in its 106th meeting on September 27, 2022, renewed the licence of the zoo till December 1, 2025. While doing so, the CZA made certain recommendations. One of the recommendations read: “… The zoo is functioning under Pilikula Development Authority. The Director in charge of the zoo does not have an adequate financial delegation to manage the day-to-day business of the zoo efficiently without loss of time.
” It will make much better sense to transfer the zoo to Karnataka Forest Department for better coordination to address human-wildlife conflict, better sensitivity towards the need of captive animals and eventually better management with the help of a Director who is appropriately delegated…” Mr. Ravikumar quoted this recommendation (by the Deputy Inspector General of Forest, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Zoo Authority, Delhi in a letter to the Director of the park on December 7, 2022) in his ( Ravikumar’s) letter to the Commissioner of the PDA on Wednesday. Following the renewal of the licence, Director of the park H. Jayaprakash Bhandary in his December 20, 2022 letter to the Commissioner of the PDA noted that he has to comply with the recommendations of the CZA.
Bhandary wrote: “…It would be wise to hand over the Pilikula Biological Park to Karnataka Zoo Authority (under forest department) or to any CZA recognised institution which has sufficient fund and expertise to manage a large zoo…” In his other letter to the Deputy Conservator Forests (DCF), Mangaluru Division, on February 2, 2023. Bhandary said that after the zoo was brought under the PDA it was difficult to manage the zoo “due to delay in utilising the fund by PDA on time.” “…Some emergency works which are required for the safety of captive animals and life of visitors could not be attended on time, since the present administration has no basic knowledge of managing a zoo.”
Bhandary suggested taking over the zoo to manage it independently since forest officials have the expertise of managing a zoo. “…Action has to be taken by the forest department as early as possible before any damage is caused to the life of captive animals, visitors and caretakers,” Bhandary’s letter concluded. In his May 30, 2023 letter to Ravikumar, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) asked him to take immediate steps to transfer the zoo to the DCF, Mangaluru Regional Division of the forest department.
