Kabul Zoo officers make a Training Visit to India

Recently three senior officers from Kabul Zoo, Afghanistan enjoyed a 10 day training-tour of south Indian zoos, coordinated by Zoo Outreach Organisation and sponsored by an emergency fund set up in North Carolina Zoo several years ago to meet some of the daily and long range expenses of the then war torn zoo.  The visit was from 20-30 December 2009. The three officers were Mr. Aziz Gul Saqib, Zoo Director,   Dr. Abdul Qadir Bahawi, Zoo Veterinarian and Mr. Najibullah Nazary, Zoo Educator.  The purpose of this training was to be able to see a variety zoos and zoo personnel.

Training began 21 Dec in ZOO office with with Dr. N. S. Manoharan, Forest Vety Officer, Tamil Nadu cadre, former Vet at Arignar Anna zoo, Vandalur and VOC Park Zoo, Coimbatore to talk about basic animal health care.  Dr. Manoharan describing the daily routine of a zoo vet, observing the animals on a daily basis, prophylactic measures, etc.   He also spent the afternoon next day with them, demonstrating capture gun.  That afternoon and the next afternoon, they spent in education sessions with Daniel and Marimuthu.  Next morning they were taken to Nilgiri Biosphere Nature Park, Annaikatti where Mr. Rathinasabapathy and other staff at the facility gave them an extensive tour of a pollinator garden, trekking paths into the site, different eco-zones of the park, medicinal plants garden, a cactus garden and other features of this nature facility, which was something entirely new for them.   Next morning they saw V.O.C. Park Mini Zoo, a Municipal Zoo as is the Kabul zoo. Dr. Perumalsamy the present Director and Dr. Thirukumaran, former Director briefed them about the zoo.

Sessions on basic veterinary care were provided by Dr. Manoharan at ZOO office

Demonstration of darting gun by Dr. Manoharan at ZOO office

Education session for Kabul Zoo officers at Z.O.O. office

Kabul zoo vet practised using a blowpipe at the veterinary session in ZOO office

Morning of 24^th Dec they travelled through the Western Ghats en route to Mysore Zoo where Mr. Shivanna, Manager of the zoo  had arranged a quick trip of the zoo by battery car for orientation. Mr. Somashekar, Education Officer accompanied and explained them about all the details of the zoo.  Next morning they learned about enclosure design of different animals, environmental enrichment, and animal. Shivanna introducted their Youth Club, a very good education programme run by Mysore Zoo.  Rest of the day was devoted to the veterinary hospital, food store, animal quarantine area and lab where Dr. C. Suresh Kumar, Assistant Director spent a lot of time with them, explaining the animal inventory system, daily report, food chart, deworming & vaccination schedule for various animals. On Saturday they visited with Mr. Vijay Ranjan Singh, Director who gave a brief talk about Mysore Zoo, its organizational structure and the Zoo Authority of Karnataka.  Mr. Singh also invited them to sit in on the Council meeting of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka where they met the Forest Secretary and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of Karnataka. The visitors had a chance to see a giraffe delivery also on that day, for which they felt very lucky. 

 
Kabul Zoo officers visit Council of Zoo Authority of Karnataka, Mysore Zoo

Sanitation and hygiene were on training agenda. Trainees examine a disinfectant mat at Mysore Zoo

On 27 December, they got a complete tour of Bannerghatta Biological Park by Dr. Basavarajappa, the Veterinary Officer and also the Wildlife S.O.S Bear Rescue Centre, hosted by Dr. Arun A. Sha, Veterinary Officer both of whom shared much information.  After the visit, we took a night bus to Chennai where Dr. Manimozhi, Biologist of the Arignar Anna zoo took care of our Afghan Visitors with a very detailed presentation about enclosure designs, enrichment, signage, education, day to day management after which they toured the zoo with other zoo personnel.

Dr. Basavarajappa explaining about the pneumatic blowpipe gun at Bannerghatta Biological Park


Kabul Zoo Vet gets first opportunity to inject a tiger at Bannerghatta Rescue Centre

  Trainees practise operating the squeeze cage in Bannerghatta Rescue Centre

The following day 29 Dec they spent the whole day at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust where the staff had planned an elaborate crash course.  Dr. Patrick Aust the Director, Dr. Gowri Mallapur, the Office Manager and Vet, Nikhil Whitaker, the Curator Soham Mukherjee, Assistant Curator and Akansha Mukherhee, Education officer showed the park and told much about the animals, the enclosure designs, environmental enrichment and signage and low cost water treatment systems to clean the pool water.  They also visited Irula Snake Catchers Society snake venom milking centre which is located adjacent to the crocodile bank.   Romulus Whitaker, founder of the park and respected researcher on reptiles made a point of meeting the Afghans and speaking with them at length.   

Romulus Whitaker, Founder, MCBT, speaking with Afghan visitors


Gharial hatchlings at MCBT were fascinating to Kabul Zoo visitors

Kabul Zoo team got an opportunity to handle animals at Croc Bank


Records maintenance for Gharial hatchlings demonstrated by Nikhil at MCBT

Last day, they spent more time at the Arignar Anna Zoo seeing the food store, vet hospital, etc.

They met the Zoo Director Mr. Ananthaswamy and he discussed about the Indian Wildlife Act and zoo rules and how the Indian zoos are managed by the Central Zoo Authority of India . He gave a hard copy of recent Central Zoo Authority legislation, Zoo Rules 2009. 

Learning about animal daily ration at the food store at Arignar Anna Zoo, Chennai


Looking at the teasing signage near Chimp enclosure at Arignar Anna Zoo, Chennai

Signage at Arignar Anna Zoo was discussed by Kabul zoo trainees


Watching the operation of amputation of lion tail at the rescue centre at Arignar Anna Zoo, Chennai