THE Guyana Zoological Park was filled with more buzz than usual, as the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC), on Sunday, held a Wildlife Fair in commemoration of World Wildlife Day 2023.

This day was observed on March 3 under the theme ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation.’

Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Deuel Hughes, in an invited comment said, “The fair had a few main attractions, which included species focus, we focused on four particular types of species that are found here in the zoo, which were snakes, caimans, monkeys and the wildcats.”

The event sought to bring awareness to the wildlife sector in the country, as Guyana is the home of many wildlife species.

Other attractions featured patrons interacting with wildlife in a controlled environment, with both specialist and medics on site.

“We had exporters here to display live wildlife animals and to allow the public to interact and to touch and feel certain wildlife species which included different species of snakes, turtles and tortoises even some spiders,” Hughes said.

The event also saw several sister agencies, providing information to the public on Guyana’s wild life, and the efforts being made to safeguard same.

“Because the theme was partnerships for wildlife conservation, we had various agencies displaying their works as it relates to wildlife conservation, these would have included the Forestry Commission [GFC], the Geology and Mines Commission [GGMC], the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], the World Wildlife Fund [WWF], the Guyana Tourism Authority [GTA] and Iwokrama as well.”

In 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in its resolution, decided to proclaim March 3, as World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.

In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the value of wildlife and its various contributions, including ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic, to sustainable development and human well-being.