By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Kumasi, Nov. 06, GNA – The Kumasi Zoo has recorded an increased number of visitors within the last three years, signifying a good performance says Dr. Meyir Ziekah Yiryele, the Chief Manager of the Kumasi Zoo.
He noted that 141,000 visitors, most of whom students, were recorded in 2023, 111,846 visitors in 2022 and 72,149 visitors in 2021.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the performance of the Kumasi Zoo, Dr. Ziekah said the 66-year-old Zoo, occupied about 11 hectares of land, of which the caged animals occupied only 30 to 40 percent of the land.
The remaining hectares of land were filled with vegetation and other free-roaming wild animals that could not be returned to the wild because they were endangered.
Dr. Ziekah described the Kumasi Zoo as the “Garden within the Garden City” since it was in the heart of Kumasi and housed not only caged animals but also other important tree species.
Among the over 50 species of caged wild animals were lions, ostriches, crocodiles, snakes, fallow deer, antelopes, monkeys, chimpanzees, zebra, tortoises, camels and others.
Dr. Ziekah mentioned that the animals included both local and exotic breeds used purposely to educate the visitors on the different species of animals in the world.
“We have the fallow deer, which was imported into the country, and the slender antelope, which is the bushbuck found in Ghana.
Since we don’t have the fallow deer in Ghana, it is used to educate visitors on the differences between the two,” he said.
Again, he indicated that, the Zoo served as a home to preserve some wild animals that were endangered and nearing extinction in the country and the world at large.
Dr. Ziekah observed that the slender-snouted crocodiles found in Ghana were critically endangered since their dwelling, the river bodies were being destroyed by farming activities for food, construction of houses for shelter and other river-destroying activities.
He disclosed that because some species of wild animals were nearly extinct, the Kumasi Zoo was partnering with a Zoo in Europe to breed some species of monkeys.
Again, Dr. Ziekah, who is a Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist, noted that, other species of animals were being bred at the Kumasi Zoo, which would be later released into the wild when the time was up.
He said the Zoo not only served as an education centre and a home for wild animals, but a place for scientific research whereby students and researchers came to research and experiment.
Despite the many benefits the Zoo had, there were many challenges faced by the Zoo, some of which served as a nuisance.
Dr. Yiryele expressed his displeasure of traders who run their businesses along the outer walls of the zoo and made a lot of refuse that ended up in the premises of the zoo.
“We intend to paint the outer walls of the zoo and draw the images of different species of animals for beautification and education.
However, the activities of traders along the walls won’t allow that, he stated.
Additionally, Dr. Ziekah said there had been various requests from visitors to the Zoo for the establishment of a snack bar, restaurant, playground and other facilities to make the place more interesting.
He appealed to authorities to give the zoo a facelift by providing the required facilities, including a disability friendly footpath and deal with the issue of traders along the outer walls of the zoo.
GNA