EcoLur
In 2011 Yerevan Zoo celebrates its 70th anniversary. Zoo and Yerevan Botanical garden are favorite pastime for Yerevan residents. Nevertheless, it’s increasingly more and more obvious, significantly more funds are needed for their normal operation than current one.
Nowadays setting up a new zoo and botanical garden in Hrazdan gorge has actively been discussed.
Ecolur asked Karen Manvelyan, Head of WWF-Armenia, to comment this event:
- Mr. Manvelyan, I would like to ask you several questions at once. Does Yerevan need a new zoo and botanical garden or not? Who is going to construct this, and the most important thing, who is going to take responsibility for the animals?. We already have very sad experience. Recently the Association for Young Biologists started gathering collections to save animals kept at Armavir Zoo, as the animals there turned out to be on the verge of starvation. And eventually what is the world experience in this regard?
- First of all, I would like to outline that WWF Armenia has nothing in common with this idea. Setting up a zoo in Hrazdan gorge is completely unacceptable, first of all, in environmental viewpoint. The gorge is narrow and has steep slopes. Keeping animals on the steep slopes will lead to land degradation and erosion processes, which extremely negatively affect the whole ecosystem of the gorge. It’s also known keeping a large number of animals in the river beds threatens contaminating territories by dangerous infections.
Now what about funding. According to our calculations, only elaboration of the master plan pf the future biopark will make up about 2 million USD, while project implementation will require about 40 million USD.
- What are you proposing, to remain everything like it is?
- I am for performing reforms in the existing zoo and botanical garden. If to conduct step-by-step reconstruction, Yerevan zoo may reach international standards. To sum up, what I have said, I suggest holding discussion of the project for a biopark with the participation of all stakeholders and to remand such projects must be scientifically and technically justified.
March 29, 2011