Works ongoing to enhance the Guyana Zoo

The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) has an ongoing campaign to enhance its urban parks to create a more engaging atmosphere for the thousands of patrons who visit daily.
Some of these enhancement projects are ongoing across all of its urban parks with the support of local and international stakeholders, while more long terms plans are being examined.
This will see the National Park, Botanical Gardens, Guyana Zoo and the Joe Vieira Park benefiting from major and micro projects to enhance these facilities throughout this year and the foreseeable future.
“The conditions of the Guyana Zoo in particular, are constantly brought to the attention of management and we would like the public to recognise that we are working assiduously to improve the conditions of the zoo for both the patrons who visit and the animals who live there,” the PAC said in a statement.
The PAC currently has a tender out in the print for the rehabilitation of the animal clinic and the jaguar enclosure, which is all part of enhancing the aesthetics of the zoo in a phased approach.
It was pointed out that currently the zoo does not function according to the definition of a traditional zoo.
“We do not seek out and 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. Over the coming weeks the public will learn more about the zoo and its function as a rescue centre,” the PAC noted.
The zoo is managed by the PAC, a semi-autonomous Government agency. Several enhancement projects have been approved for the urban park and the Guyana Zoo under the 2023 budget, including projects to improve drainage, security, lighting and animal enclosures.
“We have already begun working on some of these projects, and there has been improvements in the walkways and enclosures in some parts of the zoo. In the coming months, our team will be working with stakeholders and contractors to continue these renovations. As part of these efforts, our engineer and team met with interested contractors on May 3rd, 2023, to discuss works on a jaguar enclosure and rehabilitation of our animal hospital,” the PAC noted.