GUWAHATI, May 18 - In order to provide some much-needed relief to the staff of Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, city-based NGO Aaranyak distributed 178 pairs of shoes and boots at an event held at the Herbarium Meeting Hall of the zoo on Monday.
The shoes which were sponsored by Aaranyak and Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (USA), in association with Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, were distributed among 178 staff that included officials, guards, animal-keepers and all supporting staff of the zoo.
�The zoo authority has limited access to necessary materials such as field shoes/boots, raincoats, etc., needed for smooth functioning of our daily task. We appreciate this initiative by Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general of Aaranyak to provide 178 pairs of field shoe/boots for regular duty use by the officials, guards and animal keepers of our zoo,� Zoo DFO Swapan Kumar Seal Sarma said.
The event was also attended by Om Prakash Pandey, PCCF (Wildlife), Pradipta Baruah, ACF, Mukul Tamuli, Ranger, and R Das, Deputy Ranger. Jimut Prasad Sarma, Manas Bhattacharjya and Zakir Islam Bora represented Aaranyak at the distribution event.
PCCF (Wildlife) Pandey also appreciated the gesture, saying that the zoo staff would make right use of the boots given by Aaranyak.
Aaranyak said that it would continue to offer such field equipment to wildlife areas in Assam and adjoining north-eastern States whenever needed.
