“Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.”
“ZOONOOZ” was a community service project organized by the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya which was held on 23rd of October 2016 at the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka. The project was a new experience to all the members, as all of us have only visited the zoo when we were children with our parents to have a look at the caged animals.
A zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. Unfortunately, mass destruction of wildlife habitat has yet to cease all over the world and many species are in danger of dying out. The only place that these animals can live peacefully is the zoo. Since they are caged, they do not have the freedom to have their normal routine. So it’s our responsibility to keep their only home clean.
After arriving at the zoo at 8.00 o’clock in the morning we had a briefing session and instructions were given to us on how we should carry out the tasks and the individuals to be contacted in case of an emergency.
The members of the club were divided into 3 teams. The 1st team was escorted to the hippo area and was asked to clean the hippo cages. The 2nd team was assigned to duties at the library, where they had to rearrange the books and clean it. The 3rd team was given the task of cleaning the areas near the giraffe cage, macaw cage and the big cats’ cage.
After the program was carried out the members of the club received a free tour of the zoo organized by the officials of the National Zoological Gardens. It was a unique as well as an enjoyable experience for the rotaractors of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya.
Written by : Rtr. Nadeeshani Karandana (Co-Director Club Service)
