In ongoing efforts to improve the country’s urban parks, the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) is seeking to include exotic animals in the Guyana Zoo to enhance the experience of its thousands of daily visitors.
PAC Commissioner Jason Fraser made this disclosure on Monday, during a signing of two memorandums between the PAC and the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS) as well as the Tourism and Hospitality Authority of Guyana (THAG).
Commissioner of Protected Areas Commission, Jason Fraser
“We are working with the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) [and] we’re doing an assessment of what is possible. We don’t want to bring in exotic animals that we can’t necessarily care for,” Fraser said.
In an earlier statement by the PAC, the organisation had noted that it does not seek out or acquire animals for captive breeding or ex-situ conservation.
“Rather, the animals currently in the zoo have been rescued from various abandoned, illegal or abusive conditions, and brought to us for rehabilitation and release. Those who can no longer survive in the wild are rehabilitated and provided a safe space in our zoo to live out the remainder of their lives,” the PAC had stated.
While the GWCMC conducts their assessment, Fraser explained that the PAC is continuously working to rehabilitate the facilities, with a number of plans currently on the agenda.
“So, we’re looking at some key things that we want to start off with – first raising the walkway, so that regardless of the season, people are going to have access [and] looking at the safety aspect of it as well, so making sure all the guardrails and enclosures are up to standards,” Fraser said.
“So, that’s the first step and we’re thinking within six months, we can get that work done. It’s a lot of work. But we do have the support from both the Board and from the Government to get that done,” Fraser added.
He added that the PAC is also looking to rehabilitate the Nature School, which hasn’t been running for some time now.
National Park and Botanical Gardens
Furthermore, the PAC Commissioner explained that plans are already underway to develop more outdoor recreation spots at the National Park in the coming months.
“Gyms are expensive so, what we want to do is to set up – probably on track by November – two outdoor gym areas. So, apart from just coming and getting your cardio in and running, you’ll be able to also have a full gym to use free of cost,” Fraser said.
Botanical Gardens
“And there’s just one of that many things that we’re planning to introduce in the next six months in our urban spaces,” Fraser said.
Just last month, pet owners saw the commissioning of the Woofington Pet Park within the National Park, which seeks to provide a safe space, particularly for dogs.
“We’re working with Georgetown kennels and some other organisations that really look out for the pets in society to help us develop this space a little bit more. We want to provide a space where pet owners and pet lovers can come out and have that space,” Fraser said.
At the Botanical Gardens, the Commission is continuing to maintain the extensive green space, and is looking to develop further public-private partnerships to keep the area pristine. (G13)
