Environment Minister refutes claim of Delhi Zoo ‘privatisation’

Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that a ‘revised’ MoU was being considered to deepen collaboration in areas such as wildlife conservation, animal rescue and rehabilitation, veterinary care, zoo planning, enclosure design, conservation education, and capacity building. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Saturday (June 7, 2025) rebutted allegations by Congress leader and party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh that the National Zoological Park in Delhi was on a path to “privatisation”.

Mr. Ramesh, in a post on social media, was responding to a media report that cited an unnamed official in the Environment Ministry, stating that a knowledge-sharing agreement was being negotiated between the Delhi Zoo and the Reliance Industries-run Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), which operates the Vantara facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

In a statement issued via social media platform X, Mr. Yadav said, “Some people have made it a habit to create doubts in the mind of the public at every instance. Zoological parks enter into collaborative MoUs with other zoos, universities and scientific institutions for enhancement of conservation efforts, scientific research, education and capacity building, resource sharing and animal welfare, etc.”

He clarified that the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the regulatory body for zoos in the country, routinely enters into such partnerships, and that the MoU with GZRRC had originally been signed in January 2021. “This MoU is focused on exchange of animals, capacity building of animal keepers, technical exchanges on scientific management of animals and sharing knowledge on conservation breeding and education. GZRRC has developed state-of-the-art facilities and services in animal health and welfare, world-class zoo designing, rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals and habitat enrichment,” Mr. Yadav said.

He added that a “revised” MoU was being considered to deepen collaboration in areas such as wildlife conservation, animal rescue and rehabilitation, veterinary care, zoo planning, enclosure design, conservation education, and capacity building.

“Key areas of cooperation include support for veterinary care and allied services, exchange of best practices in captive management of endangered species, and technical assistance in zoo planning, enclosure design, enrichment, visitor engagement, and staff training. It also includes knowledge-sharing initiatives, staff exchange, capacity building, conservation education, and potential animal exchanges,” Mr. Yadav noted. He said the Delhi Zoo had entered into similar collaborations in the past as part of its modernisation initiatives focused on improving animal welfare and enhancing visitor experience.

Mr. Ramesh, however, had questioned the manner in which the proposed agreement was being pursued, alleging that it was being done in a “hush-hush” fashion. “Zoos, national parks, tiger and other reserves, and sanctuaries are all public services and must never be privatised in any form,” he said.

Published - June 07, 2025 05:55 pm IST