Like many other tourist hotspots that rely on visitors to generate a revenue, Odisha's Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar faced a major blow amid the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
To cater to its expenses, necessary for animal care, the zoo has started an online animal adoption program. Those interested may adopt an animal of their choice virtually for a specific duration of time and the money contributed will go towards the food, grooming and medical expenses of the animal.
A number of zoos in the country have adopted this mechanism over the years to deal with financial stress. The online access has made the process flexible.
An elephant at Rs 2.5 lakhs a year is the most expensive species for adoption.