If you are passionate about conserving wildlife, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you.?
Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) has come out with a programme during the lockdown period for those looking for an opportunity to conserve wildlife and adopt animals at the zoo.
There are other perks as well - gift voucher for zoo visit and display of name in adoption board. But that would depend on the adoption amount.
"The animal adoption programme is an opportunity for you to get involved in supporting feed and veterinary care expenses for zoo animals with provision for Income Tax rebate under 80G. There are 21 elephants which can be adopted online!" say zoo officials.
Here's the list of animals that can be adopted -?
One can adopt the likes of King cobra and Indian rock python for Rs 3,500 per year, and jungle cat and Assamese Macaque for Rs 5,000. Adoption of black buck and sambar will cost you Rs 7,500 per year, Emu Rs 10,000, spot-billed Pelican Rs 15,000, Golden jackal Rs 20,000, Indian leopard and sloth bear Rs 35,000, Zebra 50,000, Hippopotamus Rs 75,000, and Bengal tiger and Giraffe a flat Rs one lakh, among others.
"The purpose of the adoption programme is to create awareness and connect with people involved in conservation activities, not just generating revenues," the Executive Director of the government-run BBP, Vanashree Vipin Singh told news agency PTI on Friday.
The programme can't be run expecting profit in return.
The zoo, which sees an annual footfall of around 15 lakh, has been closed since the middle of March following lockdown declared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It received a record 23,000 people on a single day on January 1 this year.