Rush up,zoo pushes for more security

PMC chief security officer,Ramesh Shelar,said,“We will soon issue tenders to enlist a security agency,which will provide us with additional personnel to guard the zoo.”

Director of the Zoo,Rajkumar Jadhav,said they have sought an increase in security staff from 34 now,to 50. He said additional deployment has been sought as the zoo has been getting a lot of visitors and there are major expansion plans.

“We have major expansion plans. We are setting up a nature interpretation centre besides enclosures for the animals in the development plan of Rs 4.25 crore for this year,” added Jadhav. He said that the enclosures are also being set up in the wake of recent additions to the zoo.

“We recently got four barking deer and a wolf from Mumbai zoo and another from Gadchiroli zoo. We need to set up the enclosures to separate the animals,” said Jadhav.

The director added that stepping up security was in the wake of an increase in people visiting the zoo. “The number of visitors has been going up over the years and has even touched 14-15 lakh,” he said.

Jadhav said extra security was required as the zoo has put in place additional measures like banning of plastic at the research center,cigarette and gutkha as well.

“We are catering to the security need of the zoo with the help of a private security agency and from our own staff and ex-servicemen who have been hired. We need additional security to cope with demands of development being carried out at the research center. We have a 10-year expansion plan we are working on,” he added.