Zoo Education  

 :: VISITOR EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAMME

Arignar Anna Zoological Park has formulated innovative conservation education and awareness programmes. Zoo has become a conservation centre providing facilities for learning about nature and its complex processes. The Education and Research wing has developed special customized programmes for students and public for nature education and interpretation.

 :: Zoo School Programme

Education is one of the main  objectives of the zoos. This is also  emphasized in the National Zoo policy -1998. Arignar Anna Zoological Park has  made remarkable progress in  innovative zoo education programme.  The Zoo School programme, Teachers Training  programme and the Zoo Volunteer  programme are very popular with the school and college students.A customized education module has been prepared covering the school syllabus. This gives a better linkage between the zoo school module and the regular school syllabus.

During the year 2004-05, 101 zoo school programmes were organized in which 7384 students benefited from the programme. The number of students benefited from the zoo school programme every year is as shown in the table below.

 :: Teachers Training Programme

The zoo also conducts Teachers Training programme.  The teachers training programme is a way of making the  teachers of various schools in and around Chennai more  aware of the role of zoos in wildlife and nature  conservation. They are given half-day classroom sessions  followed by field visits in which information on various  aspects of nature conservation and captive wildlife  management is imparted. Along with this reading material,  teachers training kit and pamphlets are also given.The  number of teachers benefitted from the zoo school  programme every year is shown in the table below.

 :: Zoo Outreach Programme

The zoo outreach programme is conducted for the benefit of the participants who cannot visit the zoo. For this a resource person from the zoo goes and delivers lecture on the role of zoos and wildlife management. This programme is done based on request. This year 4 programmes were conducted. 526 participants attended and benefited from the programme.

 :: Zoo Volunteer Programme

This year the Zoo Volunteers’ programme was inaugurated on 8th August 2004. Around 75 students from 5 colleges and schools have enrolled for membership of the club. They are a great asset to us, assisting in different areas of zoo management. The zoo volunteer programme is for the school and college students who wish to contribute for the cause of wildlife conservation by volunteering to participate in one of the areas out of several functions conducted for managing the zoo.

 :: In – House Training Programme

Effective conservation requires an informal supportive and participating management. Imparting training to the staff is an important strategy in the conservation effort with a view to upgrade and enhance knowledge and skills. Every year a five day training programme is conducted for the animal keepers of the zoo. These animal keepers and other staff are given inputs on hygiene, animal behavior monitoring and feed habits. Also it is an occasion for them to share experiences on a common forum and to clear doubts about their work. The Biologists and veterinary doctors act as resource persons and impart information about the animals, their habitats and behaviour in the wild. Also they are taken on a visit to other zoos.

 :: ZOO CLUB

There are about 140 student volunteers who have been regularly rendering services for zoo work. The volunteers were initiated into service by a crash course on zoo management. The volunteers were assigned the work of helping animal keepers, zoo education dissemination to visitors, zoo sanitation and documentation. The programme received overwhelming support from the student community. Appreciation certificates are given to the volunteers.