Kathmandu, June 13

The Environment Protection Committee of the Legislature-Parliament today directed the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Council of Ministers to bring a separate bill for zoo management within three months.

A meeting held today in the EPC office told the government to submit a bill for zoo management in Parliament.

While discussing the programmes and legal status of the central zoo, EPC members sought an overall management and control mechanism such as an authority to look after the zoo and the so-called legal/illegal mini zoos properly.

Members of the committee expressed serious concern about the pitiable condition of the central zoo and illegally operated so-called zoo (animal facilities). After discussions on the condition of the central zoo, EPC chair Janak Raj Chaudhary directed the government to do the needful.

The EPC directed the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation to submit the current status, numbers and monitoring report of so-called zoos to EPC within one month.

EPC directed MoFSC and National Trust for Nature Conservation to extend the current zoo in Suryabinayak of Bhaktapur district and manage zoos beyond Kathmandu Valley.

In the beginning, Sarita Gyawali, project manager of Central Zoo, Jawalakhel, presented the problematic scene at the Zoo where 104 species of animals, mammals, birds, reptiles and fish have been kept in just 6 hectare land.

The animal have been kept in horrible condition for the past 84 years. She said due to lack of proper and enough space as well as environment, the species’ have not bred for long.

The zoo was established by the then prime minister of Nepal Juddha Shamsher Rana 84 years ago. Though the zoo has been suffering from dozens of problems, the government doesn’t invest even a single penny on management.

Due to lack of legal provision, the zoo could not add and exchange species with zoos of other countries.

Similarly more than two dozen animal facilities are operating illegally. Till date, there is no legal provision that guide or controls the zoo.

After the scene presented by zoo authority parliamentarians have expressed their worries about it and the dissatisfaction over government for not manage the only zoo of the country.

In the meeting, parliamentarian of Nepali Congress Bir Bahadur Balayar said it was shameful that the only zoo in the country had been neglected by the government.