Can dolphins revive Delhi zoo?

Private tour operators give thumbs up to the plan

As a part of the yet to be prepared Master Plan for the Delhi Zoo, officials are exploring the feasibility of building a dolphinarium. Tours and travel agents in the capital welcomed the idea but insisted that before planning an almost "unworkable task", the officials should concentrate on improving the conditions inside the park.



While declaring the government's plan to announce dolphin as national aquatic animal, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had earlier this year floated the idea of keeping the Gangetic mammals in captivity for public awareness in Delhi Zoo, which is spread over 76 hectares.

Gour Kanjilal, Executive Director of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said, "This is a super idea by our minister. We will be among a few countries to have such a dolphinarium. This would also increase foot falls in the zoo. However, this is a long term plan and can take years. In the meantime, government should see that the condition of the zoo is bettered."

Shikkhar Travels, a private tour and travel operators in Delhi, who have been operating for last ten years excluded Delhi Zoo from their sight seeing tours for the last few years. "We offer different packages but none of them includes Delhi Zoo. The reason being it is spread over a vast area and takes almost half a day.

Moreover the excitement factor is also missing," said Dushyant Shikkharwar from Shikkhar Travels.
"The officials should go step by step. Since planning a dolphinarium would take time, the officials must concentrate to improve the conditions in the zoo," Shikkharwar added.

According to the Master Plan, the zoo would also include a multi-species immersion exhibit with elevated board walk, interpretation centre, food court, open air theatre and souvenir shop. Delhi Zoo plans to rope in a consultant to submit the master plans to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to ensure global standards are maintained.

As per CZA guidelines, the master layout plan of the zoo is a detailed landscape map of the existing site showing prevalent facilities and infrastructure and also the proposed developmental activities in animal display area and other areas for the better up keep of the animals.

The master plan has to be worked out for next 20 years and the improvement works would be carried out over next five years.

The travel agents are also not sure if the idea of keeping dolphins in captivity will work or not. "I have read somewhere that dolphins cannot cope with life in captivity. Most captive dolphins live to only half the age of wild dolphins. The officials must consider all factors before embarking on such a plan," said Ashutosh of Smily Travels.

What's a dolphinarium?
A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a large pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or for public performances. Some dolphinariums consist of one pool where dolphins perform for the public, others are part of larger parks, such as marine mammal parks, zoos or theme parks, keeping other animals and having other attractions as well.
While cetaceans have been held in captivity since the 1860s, the first commercial dolphinarium was opened only in 1938. Their popularity increased rapidly until the 1960s. Since the 1970s, increasing concern for animal welfare lead to stricter regulation, which in several countries ultimately resulted in the closure of all dolphinariums in the past decades. Despite this trend, dolphinariums are still widely spread in Europe, Japan and North America.