THE Protected Areas Commission (PAC) has an ongoing campaign to enhance urban parks to create a more engaging atmosphere for the thousands of patrons who visit daily.

Some of these enhancement projects are ongoing across all of Guyana’s urban parks, with the support of local and international stakeholders, while more long-term plans are being examined.
This will see the National Park, Botanical Gardens, the Guyana Zoo and the Joe Vieira Park benefitting from major and micro projects to enhance these facilities throughout this year and the foreseeable future.

“The conditions of the Guyana zoo in particular, are constantly brought to the attention of management and we would like the public to recognise that we are working assiduously to improve the conditions of the zoo for both the patrons who visit and the animals who live there,” the PAC said in a press release on Monday.

The commission added: “Most importantly, the PAC currently has a tender out in the print medium for rehabilitation of the animal clinic and the jaguar enclosure, which is all part of enhancing the aesthetics of the zoo in a phased approach.

“Currently, our zoo does not function according to the definition of a traditional “zoo”; i.e., we do not seek out and acquire animals for captive breeding or ex-situ conservation. Rather, the animals currently in the zoo have been rescued from various abandoned, illegal or abusive conditions, and brought to us for rehabilitation and release.”

Those that can no longer survive in the wild are rehabilitated and provided a safe space in the zoo to live out the remainder of their lives. Over the coming weeks, the public will learn more about the zoo and its function as a Rescue Centre.

“Additionally, our zoo has served as a wildlife education centre in the past, using our animal ambassadors to encourage conservation and teach wildlife education to youths along the coast.
“Our efforts are centred on ensuring our population and visitors alike become familiar with our local wildlife to be more knowledgeable about our home-grown biodiversity and natural wealth,” the PAC said.

Several enhancement projects have been approved for the urban park and the Guyana Zoo under the 2023 budget, including projects to improve drainage, security, lighting and our animal enclosures.

“We have already begun working on some of these projects, and there has been improvements in the walkways and enclosures in some parts of the zoo,” the PAC related.

In the coming months, the team will be working with stakeholders and contractors to continue those renovations.

“As part of those efforts, our engineer and team met with interested contractors on May 3, 2023, to discuss works on a jaguar enclosure and rehabilitation of our animal hospital,” the PAC said.
The commission will also be launching discussions with interested stakeholders from the public and private sectors and the business community, who would hopefully lend their support to enhancing the zoo.

“We will be announcing more information as time progresses, and inviting stakeholders to meetings to discuss how we can work together,” the PAC.