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PMC invites fresh bids to bring Zebras at Katraj Zoo
The Pune Municipal Corporation has called for fresh bids to bring Zebras to the Katraj Zoo after facing a lack of response from agencies in the past year. The civic body has made all necessary arrangements and is waiting for agencies with international licenses and experience in transporting exotic species to provide the animals. The procurement will cost around ₹1.33 crore for transportation and other expenses. This is part of the zoo's plan to import foreign animals for display. Agencies must provide immunization, deworming, and treatment records, and allow spot visits by zoo officials.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has invited bids from different firms to identify and facilitate bringing Zebras to the Katraj Zoo in the city. Earlier due to a lack of response from agencies, the civic body was struggling to procure four Zebras for Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park & Wildlife Research Centre for more than a year. Now, the PMC has once again called on agencies to supply the species through fresh bids.
The PMC-run Katraj Zoo put forward a proposal to the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI), New Delhi, requesting these exotic species. The CZAI approved the proposal under the animal collection plan after being examined by the Wildlife Crime Control Board and the Veterinary Department, Delhi.
The PMC got approval at the beginning of 2022. After that, authorities floated a tender calling agencies to supply two male and two female Zebras. However, the civic body didn’t get a response from agencies. This has prompted PMC to float fresh bids on September 14.
Ashok Ghorpade, director of Rajeev Gandhi Zoo said, “We have now floated fresh tender and called agencies to provide Zebras at Katraj Zoo. We had previously received a response from one agency. however, due to a lack of proper documentation, the agency was not qualified for tender.”
According to Ghorpade, PMC has made all arrangements in the zoo for four Zebras.
“Now, we are waiting for these animals. The agency should have an international license and experience in transporting exotic species from other countries. They should have to follow all international norms to import species,” he said.
As mentioned in the tender document, Animals will not be purchased but will be bought from foreign animal breeders as donations, gifts, disposal of surplus animals, and exchange of animals. PMC will only bear the cost of crating, handling of animals, and transportation.
The procurement of these animals will cost around ₹1.33 crore for transportation, other expenses include adding authorised experienced wild animal dealers, reputed firms, and wild animal breeders. The animal selected for import and breeding must be physically and genetically fit and healthy, the animal should be free from any kind of contagious disease. As part of it, various foreign animals will also be brought to the park for display, either purchased or exchanged with local animals. The Zebras are the first among the foreign animals to be procured for the zoological park.
Every detail pertaining to immunisation, deworming, and treatment records must be furnished, they added.
If mandated by the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, the bidder will have to arrange a prior spot visit of senior zoo officials and zoo veterinarian at the donor to verify the animal details.
