Hyderabad: In a heartwarming gesture on his eighth birthday, Yuvaan Hiremath, son of Dr. Sunil S. Hiremath, IFS and Director of Zoo Parks in Telangana, marked the occasion by adopting eight different animals at Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park. This marks the second consecutive year Yuvaan has chosen to celebrate his birthday through animal adoption.
Accompanied by his parents, Yuvaan visited the Hyderabad Zoo and formally handed over the adoption voucher to Curator J. Vasantha, IFS. The list of adopted animals reflects both variety and affection: Hippopotamus, Jaguar, Bear, Capuchin Monkey, Pelican, Gharial, Otter, and Owl. The adoption is valid for one month.
Speaking at the event, Curator Vasantha congratulated Yuvaan on his birthday and thanked him for his thoughtful initiative. “It’s inspiring to see young children engaging with wildlife and showing such empathy at an early age. Acts like these go a long way in promoting conservation awareness,” she said.
Nehru Zoological Park has been seeing steady interest in its animal adoption scheme, with individuals, companies, banks, and educational institutions all coming forward to contribute towards the care and upkeep of zoo animals. The scheme allows for adoptions ranging from a single day to an entire year.
The curator encouraged citizens to follow Yuvaan’s example and choose animal adoption as a meaningful way to contribute to wildlife welfare. “Whether it’s a personal celebration or a corporate gesture, every adoption helps,” she said.
