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National Park’s animal adoption scheme gets lukewarm response

According to SGNP management the adoption rates were calculated depending on individual needs of the animals and also included their food, maintenance of the enclosures as well as the medical treatment needed for a year

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There are around 90 animals available for adoption at SGNP
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Even as Union Minister Ramdas Athawale plans to adopt a captive leopard at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) under the animal adoption scheme—running since 2014, officials at SGNP inform that Mumbaikars seems to have given this initiative an extremely lukewarm response so far.

While in 2014 nine animals including a tiger, two rusty spotted cats, a lion and a leopard were adopted the number of adoption in 2015 were just five, which included a tiger, a leopard and a rusty spotted cat. And the numbers dropped further in 2016 as only three animals were adopted that included a lion, a leopard and a spotted deer.

In fact in 2014 and 2015 Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray as well as his younger brother Tejas Thackeray, who share a keen interest in wildlife had adopted a tiger named Yash and two rusty spotted cats respectively, however, according to forest department their adoption tenure ended on July 3, 2016 and has not been renewed yet.

“With adopting a lion costing Rs 3 lakh, a tiger costing Rs 3.10 lakh and a leopard costing Rs 1.20 lakh annually, a lot of people loose interest. However, at the same time we have several people like the Thackerays, who continue to support our adoption scheme and there are also individuals like Thane resident Sadhana Vaze, who has decided to adopt Arjun a leopard for its lifetime,” said an official from the SGNP.

According to SGNP management the adoption rates were calculated depending on individual needs of the animals and also included their food, maintenance of the enclosures as well as the medical treatment needed for a year.

“We are hoping that the adoption of leopard by Athawale, which is the first adoption of 2017 provides a major boost and more people come forward as it is a way of showing their care and concern for wildlife and its conservation,” said a senior forest official.

“World over its the industrialists, actors and corporates who are known to adopt animals for the glamour and publicity but unfortunately SGNP has not been able to take this scheme to them, which is the reason there are few takers,” said an activist.

COST INCLUSIVE

According to SGNP management the adoption rates were calculated depending on individual needs of the animals and also included their food, maintenance of the enclosures as well as the medical treatment needed for a year.

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