Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today said that the National Zoo should not be considered just as a source of revenue or entertainment. 

“Zoos can become a symbol of the country's special identity,” she said.

She made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop titled “Current Status and Development Plan of Bangladesh National Zoo” held at the hall of the Bangladesh Cotton Development Board in the capital's Farmgate area this morning. 

The workshop was organized by the Bangladesh National Zoo Authority.

The Fisheries and Livestock Adviser said that the crisis the zoo is currently facing cannot be solved by any single person, not even by the Director General or the Director alone, as this problem has persisted for many years.

Therefore, all the concerned parties, including the department, zoo officials, university researchers, and others, will have to work in a coordinated manner to overcome these challenges.

The Livestock Adviser said, “Today, many suggestions have been received that would not have been possible if we had held a meeting ourselves. In the future, we will form a committee where experienced people from all walks of life will be included. If necessary, everyone will sit every month and decide what can be done to develop the zoo.”

She further said that it is not right to limit the conservation plan for zoo animals only to the zoo itself, adding that whether some animals can be transferred to a suitable natural environment should also be taken into consideration.

“Discussions are also needed on whether animals whose natural death is approaching should be kept in the zoo or transferred somewhere else,” she also said.

She mentioned that various research institutions often express interest in conducting research on zoo animals. 

The Adviser clarified that animals will not be sent outside the zoo for research purposes. 

“Instead, if research is to be done, researchers will have to come to the zoo and conduct their studies within its environment,” she said.

Director General (In-Charge) Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Dr. Md. Abu Sufiun presided over the meeting, while Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber attended as the special guest.