TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) will launch an online monitoring system in zoos across the country, the Department of Environment’s director general for hunting and fishing has said.

“Putting in place the necessary infrastructure for this plan is underway; newly constructed zoos are supposed to have an online monitoring system, and the old ones must launch the system as soon as possible,” IRNA quoted Ali Teymouri as saying on Saturday.

Teymouri stated that all provincial departments of environment must supervise the zoo online systems to register all animal species entering or leaving the zoo, casualties and causes. 

The necessary infrastructure has been prepared to some extent in two zoos, and the rest of the zoos will launch the in the near future gradually, he added.
There are about 80 zoos, animal rehabilitation centers and bird gardens in the country, he said, adding that according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the DOE and the Veterinary Organization, the organization is tasked with monitoring animal’s health and diseases in all centers.

Referring to some 15 zoos active in the country, he stated that when the DOE decides to issue a permit for the construction of a zoo or garden, the Veterinary Organization must approve it.

He further explained that “since most of the zoos were operating without any licenses or permits in the country, the DOE started to work on zoology within past three years, and with many efforts made the zoos to live up to the required standards set by the department.”

During the aforesaid period, zoo directors have worked well toward the development of species conservation and health regulations in addition to acquiring licenses, he highlighted.

He went on to say that zoo directors are working to achieve the required standards defined by the Department of Environment, hence the conditions are improving, but it takes long to meet the internationally defined levels.

During the past three years, all those zoos and bird parks which didn’t achieve the required standards, have been restricted from keeping some animal species, and 7 centers which didn’t live up to the standards during this period, were shut down accordingly, he also explained.

If the centers are investigated for not having the standard conditions, in addition to being banned from admitting new animal species, the animals residing in these zoos will be transferred to standardized centers, he concluded.

FB/MQ/MG