ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Managing the affairs of city zoo is said to be a technical job but this basic requirement is usually ignored by the city managers.

This time a dentist (BDS Doctor) has been made the in-charge of the Murghzar Zoo who may not be familiar with the animals' husbandry.

Dr Raja Mustafa Haidar has been appointed as Director Zoo. He joined the CDA on deputation from federal ministry of health.

When contacted, the CDA's Director General Environment Dr Suleman Sheikh said he was not aware of the details that why a dentist has been appointed as the in-charge of the zoo.

The post of the director was lying vacant for several months since the repatriation of another deputationist to his department in Punjab government.

The condition of Murghzar Zoo has been deteriorating for the last many years apparently due to non-professional attitude of the CDA bosses towards it.

Like many other important uplift schemes in the city managers have put the much awaited remodelling of Murghzar Zoo on the back burner despite spending over Rs30 million on it initially.

Paucity of funds is again said to be the main reason behind non-execution of project that was once started in 2008 but soon the work halted by the contractor.

The intention of CDA bosses towards uplift of the zoo can be judged from the fact that it had not allocated funds for the remodelling of the zoo in its annual budget 2010-11.

Rs1.408 billion project of remodelling of the only zoo in Islamabad was conceived in 2007 and its feasibility and designing was completed and was approved by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in 2008. Under the project, the zoo presently spread over 20 acres of land was to be extended further to 80 acres and 70 additional animal enclosures were to be constructed in it in one year time.

The entire project was split into five phases and the first phase that was started in 2008 but only two enclosures were constructed under it before it was wrapped up due to financial constraints.

Former CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari, who is famous for preserving natural environment left the authority in 2009, was quite ambitious about the project and wanted to meet international standards with induction of more animals, expansion in its total area and establishing more cages and animals' enclosures.

The CDA was suggested by the consultants that in order to meet the international standard, the zoo managements would have to maintain a proper kitchen for preparing food for the animals, veterinary clinic, proper cages and enclosures for the animals. In the international standard zoo, one has to maintain the same environment and temperature for each and every animal they are used to.

Presently the zoo has leopard, elephants, ducks, swans, wolfs, deer, Neel Gain, monkeys, crocodiles, eagles, owls, peacocks, fox, jackals and different spices of birds.