The Guyana Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Centre and the Botanical Gardens, located in Georgetown, reopened to the public yesterday.
The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) announced the planned reopening last Friday in a post on its Facebook page.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Persia Martindale, the PAC Officer in the Public Communication and Outreach Department, said that although they have reopened, they still encourage persons to adhere to the various COVID-19 guidelines when visiting the zoo.
Martindale assured that in the two years that the zoo was closed, the animals were well taken care of by the zoo-keepers and were also being supplied with other necessities, such as medication, which was donated by various organisations.
In addition, Martindale said the animals were being exposed to humans during the lockdown but she also still encouraged persons to pay keen attention to the boundaries and the signs during visits to the zoo. “It’s not that they haven’t been exposed to humans because they had their zoo-keepers who were feeding and looking after them. But we still encourage persons to adhere to the boundaries and be aware of the signs,” she noted.
Martindale stated that a few animals were admitted to the zoo during the closure after they were rescued by the Wildlife Rescue Centre. Those animals either had to recover or had become uncontrollable for their owners. Up to yesterday, she said, only around three to five of those new animals were currently there.
Martindale also said that enclosures were refurbished and the walkway was also maintained during the closure.
When Stabroek News visited the zoo on Monday, a few empty cages were observed while there were others with animals inside. A new hut was also being constructed and the repainting of a tap was being done. The gardens were also being cleaned when this newspaper visited.
A handful of persons who were present expressed their dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the zoo during its closure.
