Hyderabad: Tree plantation at zoo parks World Environment Day

Bahadurpura: On the occasion of World Environment Day, 2021, the Nehru Zoological Park conducted a plantation programme inside its premises on Saturday, with native wild species, especially wild fruit bearing trees to improve the biodiversity of premises and to move forward towards the cherished goal of making the zoo a centre for education and conservation of both flora and fauna.

According to zoo officials, these wild fruit trees apart from increasing the floral composition would invite free ranging frugivorous birds and small mammals, thereby improving the faunal diversity as well, said R Sobha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Telangana.

Speaking on the occasion, Sobha said that Nehru Zoological Park was at the forefront in conservation and breeding of wild animals and the birth of mega herbivores were worth cheers in the otherwise gloomy pandemic scenario. She appreciated the hardwork and dedication of the department and zoo staff for their relentless service towards conservation of wildlife in these hard times.

On this occasion, She also shared the good news of birth of a one-horned rhinoceros and a Gaur. The male Gaur calf was born on June 2, on the auspicious day of Telangana State Formation Day, whereas the male calf of one-horned Rhinoceros was born a fortnight ago and the authorities named the male Gaur calf, commemorating Komaram Bheem, as Shri Komaram Bheem. The one-horned Rhinoceros calf was named Nanda.

R M Dobriyal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Dr Sidhanand Kukrety, Additional PCCF (Prod) and Director of Zoo Parks, M J Akbar, Conservator of Forests, Hyderabad Circle, Subhadra Devi, Curator, Nehru Zoological Park, Dr M A Hakeem, Deputy Director, (Vet) A Nagamani, Deputy Curator and other staff members were present.