NEITHER the Zoological Society (ZSTT) nor the Agriculture Ministry is willing to answer whether, in addition to the $56 million upgrade for visitors at the Emperor Valley Zoo, there are any plans for upgrades to the animals’ enclosures.

Earlier this month, the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) revealed to Newsday that the budget for the planned upgrades to the facility is $56,265,878.14, excluding VAT.

The upgrades include a cinema, ice cream parlour, cutters bar, restaurant, exhibition centre, conference/meeting rooms, offices, an information centre, shops, kiosks, an amphitheatre and a play area for children.

This has since fuelled online discourse on social media, with many asking if there were any plans for improving the animals’ lives and livelihoods.

Sunday Newsday asked its online audience for their opinions on the topic.

Narrisa Mandol said, “Only in TT would an ‘upgrade’ to the zoo have nothing to do with improving the living conditions and quality of life of animals. The enclosures for most of the animals are way too small which is why they exhibit stressed behaviour!”

Sade Weekes said, “Y’all looking to make more money and create a place for people to lime. Nothing about properly conserving the lives of the animals. Some of them can only turn around in a circle. No place to run – nothing. Why are y’all doing this?”

Other users said they believe the zoo should be moved to another location, while some supported the idea of the upgrades.

Lifetime ZSTT member Stephen Broadbridge told Sunday Newsday when he first saw the plans for these upgrades, he felt depressed. The top priority for any upgrades to the facility, he said, should be the animals and their welfare.

He said he could not bring himself to go to the zoo since his last visit two years ago.

“The way the animals were looking…I just couldn’t do it. It looked like a concentration camp for animals.”

[caption id="attachment_864923" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this file photo, Mandela the giraffe waiting to be fed by patrons of the Emperor Valley Zoo. - Jeff Mayers[/caption]

He does not think the potential increased profits these new features may bring will actually go back into caring for the animals.

“It’s about personal wealth and personal profit.”

However, he could not offer any details of potential plans as he said lifetime ZSTT members had not been invited to meetings in several years.

Sunday Newsday tried to contact ZSTT president Gupte Lutchmedial for several weeks but calls and messages went unanswered.

When Newsday called the zoo and asked to speak to an official on the expansion project, a representative told us to contact the Agriculture Ministry, since “that is their project.”

Sunday Newsday also tried to contact the line minister Kazim Hosein for weeks, but to no avail, until May 17.

He said he was preparing for a joint select committee meeting and that questions should be posed to the ministry’s corporate communications department.

Sunday Newsday e-mailed questions to the department, and