Overview

• Congress leader Jairam Ramesh warned on June 4 that the revised MoU with Reliance’s Vantara could signal a move toward privatizing the National Zoological Park and criticized the deal’s secrecy.
• On June 7, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav rejected privatization claims as baseless and noted that the Delhi Zoo has pursued similar partnerships since its first MoU with GZRRC in January 2021.
• The proposed revised MoU seeks to deepen collaboration in wildlife conservation, animal rescue and rehabilitation, veterinary care, zoo planning, enclosure design, conservation education and capacity building.
• Reliance Foundation’s Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre has developed state-of-the-art facilities in animal health services, world-class zoo design and habitat enrichment that Delhi Zoo aims to adopt.
• The Central Zoo Authority routinely endorses partnerships between zoos, universities and research institutions to enhance conservation research, advance animal welfare standards and improve visitor experience.