Everything You Need to Know About Adopting an Animal at the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo

Last year, when I wrote my extensive post on everything you need to know before visiting the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo, as it’s colloquially known, I never imagined that it would get sooo much traction! I guess everyone was looking for practical, on-the-ground information, which the zoo website doesn’t provide. So, today, I’m here to tell you about an interesting scheme offered by the zoo, which all animal lovers would love to know about – adopting an animal at the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo. As a gift for my son’s 9^th birthday, we adopted the Indian Crested Porcupine for a year, so I have personally been through this procedure recently and I’m here to share my experience with you.

Curious to know what it means to adopt an animal at the Delhi Zoo? Read on, but first, I’d like to share some background information.

Zoos get a bad rep for the caging of animals, but did you know that their role goes beyond animal captivity for public viewing? The first zoo was opened by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). This group still runs the zoo there and continues to adhere to the original mandate with which it was formed i.e. studying rare animals from around the world for the purpose of conservation. The idea was simple – to observe an animal up close, learn its behaviours and needs, so its species could benefit from the knowledge.

The idea sounds nice, but we all know that every zoo doesn’t follow these lofty principles. While the London Zoo goes to great lengths to recreate the natural habitats of every animal in its grounds, so that the animal can be as comfortable as possible; many zoos in India, including the Delhi Zoo don’t have the luxury of space or the finances to do so. Most national zoos – including Delhi Zoo – are funded by the central government of that country, but unfortunately, the finances allotted can be quite low and the animals require a lot for their sustenance. The zoos make up for some of this by charging entrance fees, but it’s not enough. This is when offering unique paid services to the public to earn extra money for the upkeep of the animals in their charge, can come in handy.

The Advantages of Adopting an Animal in the Delhi Zoo:

At the London Zoo, you can adopt animals and even book a stay overnight at the zoo to enjoy a truly unique experience. At the Delhi Zoo, however, you can only adopt animals – a scheme that was initiated during the pandemic. So, why should one adopt an animal, you ask? Here are the reasons:

• You pay directly for the upkeep and nutrition of your chosen animal.
• You get certain benefits such as free visits to the zoo twice a month.
• It makes for a great story!
• You get a plaque with your name on it put on the cage of the animal you have adopted, which you can show to your family and friends.
• It’s a great gifting idea for an animal lover in your family or friend’s circle.

The Procedure for Adopting an Animal at the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo:

There is an entire section dedicated to explaining the procedure for adopting an animal on the Delhi Zoo website. Yet, as with a lot of bureaucratic information, it doesn’t explain what really needs to be done. So, here is what we actually did to adopt the Indian Crested Porcupine:

• I downloaded the form shared online and filled it out before the visiting the administrative office of the Delhi Zoo to submit it.
• However, there I was told the form I filled out was the wrong one. So, they printed a (very slightly different form), which I filled out again. Bear in mind – the revised form they gave me isn’t on their website. So, best you take the form from the office instead of filling the one online.
• The form contains basic information, and you will need a passport size photograph to attach with it.
• I was told that the form had to be notarized on a non-judicial stamp paper of Rs 50, so I was asked to return after the filled-out form was notarised. THIS WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!!
• The notary categorically said that he cannot notarise any form that hasn’t been signed by both parties involved. So, I had to send the form back for the Delhi Zoo office to sign, before it could be notarised!
• Simultaneously, I was trying to pay the amount specified for the adoption of the Indian Crested Porcupine (every animal has a separate amount depending on its size and lifestyle, and the amounts are listed with the information on the website. The larger and more important the animal on the food chain, the higher its fee). I was told that the only way to make the payment was to either draw out a demand draft, write a cheque or do a bank transfer in favour of the accounts department of the Delhi Zoo. Cash payments and UPI payments don’t work.
• While I was at the administrative office of the Delhi Zoo, I added the bank account details of the accounts department of the Zoo on my banking app. There is a 30-minute wait before money transfers are allowed to a new account, so I didn’t attempt to make the payment while I was still at the zoo office. However, the account details I added were taken from the form and were added in the presence of the zoo officers.
• When I attempted to make the payment after returning home, I kept getting the message that this account no longer exists. Can you imagine my frustration?! No one bothered to point out to me that the account details had changed and even the form had the wrong account name written on it!
• So, I had to call the officer again, and he connected me to a person from the accounts section. Finally, this person sent me the correct details, which are: Director, National Zoological Park, New Delhi.
• We submitted a demand draft in this name which took 4-5 working days to clear.
• Once the payment had been received and the notarised form was submitted, we finally received a message from the office that our certificate of adoption and receipt of payment were ready and could be collected from the office.
• However, the plaque, which was the real evidence of the adoption of the animal, took four more days to be put up.
• While doing the research for this post, I saw some news articles which spoke of short-term animal adoptions. We adopted the Indian Crested Porcupine for a year because we believed that was the only option available. But apparently, a few months ago, a scheme was introduced where people could adopt an animal for just a day, or a week or a month for a lesser fee. This new scheme was never mentioned to me the entire time that I was interacting with various officers of the Delhi Zoo! So, ask about it yourself if you want to save some money / choose a short-term adoption plan.

Our Overall Experience with the Adopting an Animal Scheme of the Delhi Zoo:

So that’s the long and short of the adopting an animal scheme of the Delhi Zoo. A lot of follow-up and back-and-forth was required, despite having read all the instructions available online. The experience was long-winded and annoying, and I believe it will probably put many people off before they even begin.

In my opinion, the method for adopting an animal at the Delhi Zoo should be simplified. First, they should start accepting UPI payments, and second, they should do away with the physical (and notarised!) forms.

However, despite the red tape and bureaucratic issues, the idea behind this scheme is quite sound and I hope more people come forward to help the Delhi Zoo and its wonderful animals by adopting them for a period of their choice.

If you have any questions related to this subject, ask away in the comments section!

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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla

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*This is not a sponsored post.

**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.

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