• The Central Government shall constitute a body to be known as the Central Zoo Authority (hereinafter in this Chapter referred to as the Authority), to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it under this Act.

• The Authority shall consist of:

  1. Chairperson

  2. such number of members not exceeding ten and

  3. Member-Secretary

  to be appointed by the Central Government.

38B. Term of office and conditions of service of chairperson and members etc.

• The chairperson and every member other than the member-secretary shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, as may be specified by the Central Government in this behalf..

• The chairperson or a member may, by writing under this hand, addressed to the Central Government, resign from the office of chairperson or, as the case may be, of the Member.

• The Central Government shall remove a person from the office of chairperson or member referred to in sub-section (2) if that person:

  1. Becomes an un-discharged in solvent

  2. Gets convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence which, in the opinion of the Central Government, involves moral turpitude.

  3. Becomes of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court.

  4. Refuses to act or becomes incapable of acting.

  5. Is, without obtaining leave or absence from the authority, absent from three consecutive meetings of the Authority. or

  6. In the opinion of the Central Government has so abused the position of chairperson or member as to render that person's continuance in office detrimental to the public interest.

  Provided that no person shall be removed under this clause unless that person had been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the matter.

• A vacancy caused under sub-section (2) or otherwise shall be filled by fresh appointment.

• The salaries and allowances and other conditions of appointment of chairperson, members and Member-Secretary of the Authority shall be such as may be prescribed.

• The Authority shall, with the previous sanction of the Central Government, employ such officer and other employees as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of the Authority.

• The terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees of the authority shall be such as may be prescribed.

• No act or proceeding of the Authority shall be questioned or shall be invalid on the ground merely of the existence of any vacancies or defect in the constitution of the Authority.

38C. Functions of the Authority The Authority shall perform the following functions, namely:

• Specify the minimum standards for housing, upkeep and veterinary care of the animals kept in a zoo.

• Evaluate and assess the functioning of zoos with respect to the standards or the norms as may be prescribed.

• Recognize or de-recognize zoos;

• Identify endangered species of wild animals for purposes of captive breeding and assigning responsibility in this regard to a zoo.

• Co-ordinate the acquisition, exchange and loaning of animals for breeding purposes.

• Ensure maintenance of stud books of endangered species of wild animals bred in captivity.

• Identify priorities and themes with regard to display of captive animals in a zoo.

• Co-ordinate training of zoo personnel in India and outside India;

• Co-ordinate research in captive breeding and educational programs for the purposes of zoos;

• Provide technical and other assistance to zoos for their proper management and development on scientific;

• Perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act with regard to zoos.

38D. Procedure to be regulated by the Authority

• The Authority shall meet as and when necessary and shall meet at such time and place as the chairperson may think fit.

• The Authority shall regulate its own procedure.

• All orders and decisions of the Authority shall be authenticated by the Member-Secretary or any other officer of the Authority duly authorized by the Member-Secretary in this behalf.

38E. Grants and loans to Authority and constitution of fund

• The Central Government may, after due appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, make to the Authority grants and loans of such sums of money as that Government may consider necessary.

• There shall be constituted a Fund to be called the Central Zoo Authority Fund and there shall be credited there to any grants and loans made to the Authority by the Central Government, all fees and charges received by the Authority under this Act and all sums received by the Authority from such other sources as may be decided upon by the Central Government.

• The Fund referred to in sub-section (2) shall be applied for meting salary, allowances and other remuneration of the members, officer and other employees of the Authority and the expenses of the Authority in the discharge of its functions under this Chapter and expenses on objects and for purposes authorized by this Act.

• The Authority shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records and prepare an annual statement of accounts in such form as may be prescribed by the Central Government in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

• The accounts of the Authority shall be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General at such intervals as may be specified by him and any expenditure incurred in connection with such audit shall be payable by the Authority to the Comptroller and Auditor-General.

• The Comptroller and Auditor-General and any person appointed by him in connection with the audit of the accounts of the Authority under this Act shall have the same rights and privileges and the authority in connection with such audit as the Comptroller and Auditor-General generally has in connection with the audit of the Government accounts and, in particular, shall have the right to demand the production of books, accounts, connected vouchers and other documents and papers and to inspect any of the offices of the Authority.

• The accounts of the Authority as certified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General or any other person appointed by him in this behalf together with the audit report thereon, shall be forwarded annually to the Central Government by the Authority.

38F. Annual report

The Authority shall prepare in such form and at such time, for each financial year, as may be prescribed, its annual report, giving a full account of its activities during the previous financial year and forward a copy thereof to the Central Government.

38G. Annual report and audit report to be laid before Parliament

The Central Government shall cause the annual report together with a memorandum of action taken on the recommendations contained therein, in so far as they relate to the Central Government, and the reasons for the non-acceptance, if any, of any of such recommendations and the audit report to be laid as soon as may be after the reports are received before each House of Parliament.

38H. Recognition of Zoos

No zoo shall be operated without being recognized by the Authority.

• Provided that a zoo being operated immediately before the date of commencement of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 1991 may continue to operate without being recognized for a period of [eighteen months from the date of such commencement] and if the application seeking recognition is made within that period, the zoo may continue to be operated until the said application is finally decided or withdrawn and in case of refusal for a further period of six months from the date of such refusal.

• On and after the commencement of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 202, a zoo shall not be established without obtaining the prior approval of the Authority.

• Every application for recognition of a zoo shall be made to the Authority in such form and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

• Every recognition shall specify the conditions, if any, subject to which the applicant shall operate the zoo.

• No recognition to a zoo shall be granted unless the Authority, having due regard to the interests of protection and conservation of wildlife, and such standards, norms and other matters as may be prescribed, is satisfied that recognition should be granted.

• No application for recognition of a zoo shall be rejected unless the applicant has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

• The Authority may, for reason to be recorded by it, suspend or cancel any recognition granted under sub-section (4):

Provided that no such suspension or cancellation shall be made except after giving the person operating the zoo a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

• G: An appeal from an order refusing to recognize a zoo under sub-section (5) or an order suspending or canceling a recognition under sub-section (6) shall lie to the Central Government.

• H: An appeal under sub-section (7) shall be preferred within thirty days from the date of communication to the applicant, of the order appealed against:

Provided that the Central Government may admit any appeal preferred after the expiry of the period aforesaid if it is satisfied that the appellant had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal.

38I. Acquisition of animals by a zoo

• Subject to the other provisions of this Act, no zoo shall acquire, sell or transfer any wild animal or captive animal specified in Schedules I and II except with the previous permission of the Authority.

• No zoo shall acquire, sell or transfer any wild or captive animal except from or to a recognized zoo.

38J. Prohibition of teasing, etc., in a zoo

No person shall tease, molest, injure or feed any animal or cause disturbance to the animals by noise or otherwise, or litter the grounds in a zoo.

• The growing awareness for nature & wildlife conservation has made zoos a popular institution. Estimates indicate that 10% of the world's population visit zoos every year. There are about 350 animal collections in India, which are visited by more than 50 million people annually.

• While there is a history of scientific interest, conservation and welfare of captive wild animals in the country, many zoos have evolved from menageries and private collections, and most zoos until the last two decades were set up mainly for entertainment and recreation. As wildlife resources were abundant in the past, scientific knowledge about the behavioral and biological requirements of animals did not receive adequate attention, with the result that scientific management of wild animals in captivity has evolved slowly.

• The need for making conservation as one of the main objectives of management of zoos was realized by Government of India soon after independence and the Indian Board of Wildlife made important recommendations in this regard. The Government set up an Expert Committee on Management of Zoos in Noverber,1972 and its recommendations were accepted in June,1973. The recommendations are relevant even now for improving the management of Zoos. The National Wildlife Action Plan of 1983 again emphasized the role of ex-situ conservation in national conservation efforts. However, because of varied ownership patterns and divergent nature of animal collections not much was achieved.

• Today when wildlife habitats are under severe pressure and a large number of species of wild fauna have become endangered, the zoos have not only to sustain their own populations but also augment the depleting populations of endangered species in the wild. This new role has been acknowledged by the global conservation community and Article 9 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

• As zoos are visited by a large number of visitors, zoos are a point a potent tool for education people about the close linkage between protection of natural areas and maintaining the life supporting processes of nature. Well-planned and appropriately designed zoos can sensitize visitors to the dangers of a hostile or indifferent attitude towards nature.

• In India, many well designed zoos were set up in some of the States but for the most part, zoos have not been able to meet the challenges imposed by the changing scenario and still continue with the legacy of past i.e. displaying animals to the animals nor educative and rewarding to the visitors.

• The amendment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, in 1991, provided for the enforcement of mandatory standards and norms for management of zoos through the Central Zoo Authority. However, it is realised that the objectives of the Act can be achieved only through co-operation and participation of various government agencies, non-governmental organizations and people at large.

• The National Zoo Policy aims at giving proper direction and thrust to the management of zoos by mustering co-operation and participation of all concerned.