Click to play videoHyderabad: In Hyderabad, there is a new way to save tax if you love wild animals. It is the Hyderabad Zoo and the animals in it which is going to save you money, provided the zoo's ambitious plan in this regard gets the government clearance.
If you love wild animals – the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad ought to be on your tour list. Besides getting an opportunity to watch wild animals, there is an added attraction now: adopt an animal and get income tax exemptions.
"Institutions and people can adopt one animal species or an enclosure and in the process avail income tax benefit," explains P Bhaskar Reddy, Director of Nehru Zoological Park.
In an effort to creating awareness on wildlife protection, the Hyderabad zoo is attracting animal lovers to become patrons for the 1,500-odd species of animals there. In coordination with the I-T department, tax relief will be granted to those who donate generously. And the funds will be used for the animal's food, medicines and maintenance. The initiative is aimed at encouraging a larger public participation in wildlife conservation.
Since animal care costs about Rs 1 crore annually, the zoo has devised this new plan to garner funds. Anarkali, a wild elephant, for instance, is one inmate of the zoo waiting to be adopted. Adopting her can cost something like Rs 50,000. The cost of adopting a chimpanzee could also be of similar nature while adopting a lion or tiger can entail a cost of Rs 1 to 2 lakh.
What's more, there are benefits too. Donors or adoptive patrons get two free passes to the zoo. Adopting an enclosure allows one to display their plaque with a name. This unique animal adoption is being welcomed by many, including Telugu actress and founder of Blue Cross animal shelter, Amala Akkineni. "It's a good step for wildlife protection," she says.
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