Delhi zoo to be administered by Central Zoo Authority

The Delhi zoo, which until now reported to the Ministry of Environment directly, will now be administered by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a statutory body formed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, officials said on Thursday.

A high-level committee formed by the ministry to look into various issues of the zoo, including allegations of "illegal" procurement of animals and mismanagement in recording animal deaths, had earlier recommended shifting the administrative control to the CZA.

In a letter to CZA member secretary on June 18, Joint Director (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment, R Gopinath, had said that "in pursuance of recommendations of the committee and with approval of the competent authority, the MOEF&CC has decided to shift administrative control of National Zoological Park".

According to an official, the Central Zoo Authority had in a meeting on August 29 ratified the ministry's decision to shift the administrative control of the Delhi zoo to it.

It has also directed Delhi zoo Director Renu Singh to "form a governing body by creating a society under the Society Registration Act for efficient administration and management of the zoo", according to the minutes of the meeting.

Currently, the zoo's director is its overall administrative head and reports to the inspector general and additional director general of wildlife at the environment ministry.

Objecting to the move of shifting administrative control, former CZA member secretary D N Singh had in a letter to the Prime Minister's Office said that under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the CZA has been "assigned a regulatory function and hence it cannot operate a zoo".

He had said the move would amount to conflict of interest as a regulatory body should not be directly involved in the operation of an institution which it is supposed to regulate.

Every zoo in the country is required to obtain recognition from the Central Zoo Authority which was formed in 1992.

The CZA's objectives include specifying standards for the upkeep and veterinary care of animals in zoos, recognising or derecognising zoos and evaluating their functioning.