By Nangamso Mabindla
20 July 2007

A MULTIMILLION-RAND master plan that seeks to change the face of the East London Zoo was presented to Buffalo City councillors and officials at the Nahoon Estuary Nature Reserve on Wednesday, 18 July.

With over 100 000 visitors a year, the zoo is one of the best loved places in Buffalo City.

The R280-million plan aims to transform the 20-year-old zoo from an area in which animals are kept, to a place of conservation, learning, motivation, enjoyment, relaxation and wonderment.

The team tasked with developing the plan visited some of the country's - and the world's - top zoos, to ensure East London's zoo would be turned into a world-class facility. Among those visited were uShaka Marine World in eThekwini, the Pretoria Zoo, the Singapore Zoo and the Australia Zoo.

Zoo curator Nico Roux said that the development would form part of the City's strategic planning. "The vision of the City is to allocate public resources, promote economic growth and prevent development's with negative impacts."

Outlining some of the proposals to turn the zoo into a world-class facility, Roux said that there would be a new and exciting themed corridor between parking and entrance, ticket office, admin offices and an orientation point. The development would be done in phases as funding became available.

"We will develop themed exhibitions, infrastructure and circulation. We also want to develop the undeveloped areas in the zoo," he said.

Zoo's theme
Describing the need for the zoo to have a theme, Roux said that a message needed to be conveyed. "The vernacular theme that runs consistently throughout the zoo can be described as sustainable South African heritage and can be depicted through the use of animals, fowl, fauna, flora and cultural aspects."

Speaking about other proposals, Roux said that there would be new parking facilities, an interactive enclosure and a new restaurant from which visitors would be able to view a mixed species enclosure. The bear enclosure would be changed into an amphitheatre, the duck pond would be upgraded and a new crocodile enclosure would be built.

"Another exciting recommendation is to use the undeveloped area of the zoo and turn into a savannah-type setting where animals like kudu and impala can roam freely; but only animals that pose no danger to visitors will be placed there."

Also in the plans are a play area for children, a drop-off zone for the disabled, a cultural village, a bird aviary and a picnic area.

The member of the mayoral committee for social services, Mankomo Pango, was impressed by the recommendations. "It was a very good presentation and it is important that we improve the zoo, so that it helps boost the city's economy and also generates its own money."

She added that the masterplan, with its suggested improvements, would help the city to understand what it needed to do to transform the zoo and help it to attract more visitors.

"We currently have 100 000 people visiting the zoo yearly, and if we can develop [it] further, we will attract more people. I am really happy with the suggestions made in the plan, but we will also discuss things that we would love to see improved in the plan as well."