Zoo Outreach Organisation

Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO), India started off as an NGO primarily focusing on training Zoo staff and bettering the circumstances of captive animals in Indian zoos. It has since evolved into an overall nature and wildlife conservation NGO.

Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) was so named because its initial activity involved primarily zoos, and its purpose was to "reach out" and involve more people with zoos. Also its acronym itself is "Z.O.O." in order to make a strong statement of support of zoos and their potential.

ZOO was founded in 1985 with funds and mandate from the then Department of Environment, Government of India, to provide technical and educational support for zoos, enhance the public image of zoos, and liaise between local, national, international interests for the benefit of Indian zoos. We also lobbied for organisations and legislation affecting zoos and animal welfare in zoos.

Zoos are not just captive wildlife, however and ZOO is not just about zoos. In order for zoos to be relevant to conservation they must have extensive knowledge of wildlife in the wild. Field personnel and policy makers need to know what zoos can do for them. Therefore Zoo Outreach Organisation concerns in situ conservation as much as ex situ.

Zoo personnel were not in communication with one another, with field personnel or with their colleagues in the rest of the world. There was not much published information or training going on. Our publications and networks have addressed this problem for the last 15 years: Our Magazine and Journal are generated and edited in- house as well as all the newsletters and compendiums. ZOOS' PRINT magazine (ZP) starts 19 years of regular publication this year. ZOOS' PRINT is the oldest and the only regular zoo publication in all of Asia.

ee also

* List of Zoos in India
* Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), Governing Authority of all Zoos in India
* List of zoos
* Zoos
* Animals in captivity
* Environmental enrichment
* Heini Hediger
* Zoology
* Wildlife conservation
* Biodiversity
* Endangered species
* Extinction
* Ex-situ conservation
* In-situ conservation
* List of Conservation topics
* Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
* Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM)

References

* [http://www.zooreach.org/index.html “Zoo Outreach Organisation”, India]
* [http://www.zoosprint.org/ "ZOOS PRINT magazine" of "Zoo Outreach Organisation”, India]
* [http://www.cza.nic.in/index.html Official website of: "Central Zoo Authority of India" (CZA), Government of India]