Delhi zoo to benefit from debate and expert suggestions

Can the reptile house be turned into an arena for amphibians at the Delhi zoo? Can the white tiger enclosure be improved for better visibility for visitors?

Can the reptile house be turned into an arena for amphibians at the Delhi zoo? Can the white tiger enclosure be improved for better visibility for visitors?

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Such questions and their solutions were turned into recommendations for the National Zoological Park from participants of a workshop on zoo design and landscape.

The 'Zoo Designing and Landscape Architecture' workshop, organised by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), took a field exercise at the Delhi zoo. Different groups deliberated on five different zones being planned in zoo's master plan.

For instance, one group suggested how the reptile house and the planned nocturnal house can be used to carve out space for amphibians. "It deliberated on what should be kept in the area marked for amphibians and what food to be given to these animals," said Dr Brij Kishor Gupta, a CZA officer.

Said Amitabh Agnihotri, Delhi zoo director, "We will incorporate suggestions/recommendations about enrichment of animals' enclosures."

"The idea (of the workshop) was to bring together people who implement plans and those who make those plans," said Bonal BS, CZA member secretary.

John Cove, a landscape architect from Australia who specialises in zoo design, and Monica Fibi, an Austrian from the Zoolex Zoo Design Organisation — a service of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums — were the international experts called to the workshop.

The workshop was organised by the CZA, in collaboration with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, and concluded on Sunday.