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Dubai zoo faces 20% cut in food budget for 2010
Dubai Zoo food budget scaled down by 20 per cent
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 March 18, 2010
- Image Credit: Xpress / Sankha Kar
- Time for smaller servings
DUBAI : More than 950 animals at the Dubai Zoo may have to make do with a 20 per cent cut in their food budget this year, XPRESS has learnt.
Sources at Dubai Municipality said this year's budget is Dh840,000, a sharp fall from Dh1.1 million in 2009.
"This is the first budget cut [for the zoo], but I think we can manage," a Dubai Municipality official said. XPRESS contacted the budget office at Dubai Municipality, but there was no official comment forthcoming.
The current number of animals is down nearly 14 per cent from about 1,100 animals reported early last year.
Overcrowding
Dr Al Syed Ahmad, Programme Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), earlier said overcrowding in cages and keeping different species together were "a matter of concern". He also said that zoo authorities would have to consider shifting some animals to similar facilities in the neighbouring emirates until a bigger facility was ready. A master plan for a new zoo in Mushrif Park was abandoned in 2003.
The municipality in November 2005 had announced plans to build a Dh200 million zoo close to Mushrif Park to be completed by 2008, but that plan was also shelved.
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