The National Zoological Park will benefit from government’s assistance to enhance and upgrade the facilities following a visit by President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
After a tour of the facility the President said, according to GINA: “People who have been working here are doing a good job but like everything else, we have an issue of funding. So we are going to look at some assistance to maintain this and to upgrade the facilities here.”
He noted that although state funds are limited, the zoo needs the support. Jagdeo recalled the assistance given to spruce up the Joe Vieira Park, West Bank Demerara. That effort, GINA stated, was a collaborative one between central government, the National Parks Commission and Region Three.
“Over the next year you are going to see major capital works trying to bring back some of our infrastructure, not necessarily just the kokers and canals but the aesthetic work that needs to be done, and after that, it would be an issue of maintenance,” GINA quoted the President as saying.
The Head of State said the Zoo could serve as an education forum to highlight Guyana’s rich flora and fauna and “even for the purposes of education of our children exposing them to the environment, to the different species of fauna especially what we have in the country. So from that perspective alone it’s worthwhile.”
The President said that the efforts to spruce up the country’s existing national attractions and venues were not being done because Guyana is hosting Cricket World Cup, GINA reported.
“More and more we will have to start funding these facilities and maintaining them. This is not just an effort for World Cup Cricket what’s happening now, but it is a process to change the image of the country. We started work in Georgetown and we are extending that effort now along the East Coast and many parts of the country.”
During the tour of the facility, President Jagdeo had entertained the idea of the Zoo becoming a large theme park but space was limited for such a venture.
“Because of limitation of space we may not be able to develop it into a major international attraction and we would have to look elsewhere to do that but from the perspective of keeping Guyana clean it is a national responsibility.”
The President again urged Guyanese to be cognizant of their environment and help keep the country clean, GINA said.
Accompanying the Head of State were Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, Chairman of the National Parks Commission (NPC) Board John Caesar, Manager of the Zoological Park Peter Khatoo and NPC’s General Manager Inge Nathoo.
