Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Guyana zoo to be rebuilt to international standards – Pres. Ali
The Guyana Zoological Park has been a sorry state for years
Kaieteur News – President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali last Thursday announced that the national zoo will be rebuilt to match international standards, as part of efforts to expand green spaces in the capital city.
The president made the announcement during a special sitting of the National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, explaining that these measures fall under the comprehensive Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS2030). As part of this strategy, the government is focusing heavily on environmental enhancement, natural beautification, and other projects that aim to enhance rural and urban life. “[This includes] the building out of parks, creation of centres of wellness, safe and open space for family, the elderly [and] children,” President Ali noted.
He said the government is also launching a project that will see the enhancement of the Botanical Gardens. These endeavours will be led by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. Aside from this, the government is also forging a model for the restoration of Georgetown to the distinction as the ‘Garden City’, in partnership with the King’s Foundation.
“We are now rebuilding a model that will retrace, recreate, and enhance the cultural heritage of our city, Georgetown, building out a new green work path, cycling lane, areas of heritage and culture, areas of history. These are all part of building a beautiful Guyana, a new Guyana, in which we must take pride, in which ownership, ownership right, must be an important part of what makes us Guyanese,” the head of state said.
Providing further details on the zoo enhancement project, Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo explained that the government is contemplating a series of enhancements to create a more immersive and enjoyable experience for patrons. The government is still open to facilitating the establishment of a safari-type zoo model, which, Dr. Jagdeo explained would be a private sector undertaking.
“We believe that in Guyana, we can be a big market for the Caribbean who can come to Guyana for eco-tourism, because they may have the sun, sand, and sea kind of tourism, but they have never been down these huge rivers…so we believe that they will be blown away by a product that markets our hinterland,” he explained during a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday.
He admitted that the national zoo, however, has been languishing for some time. The GS outlined plans for an expansion of the zoo to include more interactive spaces. This expansion is likely to happen on the eastern end of the Botanical Gardens, in the vicinity of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. “We can take part of it, without spoiling the gardens. We are thinking about a zoo there, more animals in it, maybe a small tram car to move the kids around,” he said. This new area will also include a learning centre to provide hands-on experiences for children to explore the zoo’s flora and fauna in a classroom setting. Dr. Jagdeo emphasised that the aim is to make the entire area family-friendly, with aesthetic amenities such as green spaces and recreational areas, all without disturbing the habitat. “It’s a concept that we are looking at that will give our children more opportunities to be exposed to animals…that is what we are thinking about in a nutshell,” Jagdeo continued, “We will still do the prospectus for a safari-type zoo, but we want that done by the private sector mainly, because we think it would improve the attractions that we have here.” (DPI)
(Guyana zoo to be rebuilt to international standards – Pres. Ali)
- Bharrat Jagdeo, Dr. Jagdeo emphasised, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan, family, President, standards, Vice President
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