Yerevan/Mediamax/. Foundation for the Protection of Wildlife and Cultural Assets of Armenia (FPWC) intends to transform the current Yerevan zoo into a botanical and zoological zone with an area of over 50 hectares.

Mediamax was informed in a conversation with the Director of the Foundation Ruben Khachatryan that the project, called “Kirch” (“Gorge”), will give the opportunity to present the biological and zoological diversity of the South Caucasus to the visitors. “Within the framework of the project, the types of flora and fauna, which are characteristic of our natural-climatic conditions, will be presented”, he stated.

Director of the Foundation also added that “YerevanProject” institute is dealing with the issue of allocation of territory for establishing the zone. A few land areas are presented for consideration. According to Khachatryan, a preliminary consent has already been reached with Yerevan City Administration and the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia. German KfW Development Bank has expressed interest in financing the project. “The bank intends to carry out a technical-economic assessment and expertise”, the Director of the Foundation stated.

The authors of the project plan that construction works may be completed within 2-3 years, and thus, the new biological and zoological zone will be ready by 2014.

“In the future, this territory will become one of the places, where the entire family can spend time. Children will be able to receive the necessary education through communication with nature”, Ruben Khachatryan stated.

It is planned that the animals, residing in the given territory, will be kept in almost free conditions. The visitors will be able to communicate with animals without any obstacles, and as to particular types of animals, there might be glass or water barriers created.

Director of the Armenian representative office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Karen Manvelyan told Mediamax that if the project is realized in the territory of Hrazdan gorge, he will speak against the project. “A plain location is necessary for such a project, small slopes will not hinder, but the territory should not be located in a gorge. In our conditions, the habitation of animals in the territory will lead to erosion of the ground, and the hoofed mammals will degrade”, experts explained. He also added that within the range of Yerevan there is almost no suitable territory for realization of the given project.

Besides, according to Karen Manvelyan, who worked in Yerevan zoo for a long time, the waste materials will start polluting River Hrazdan, which passes through that part of the city, even more.

In his turn, Head of Yerevan zoo Sahak Abovyan told Mediamax that instead of constructing a new zone, one should carry out repairs of the existing one. He noted that since 1941, when the zoo was established, never capital repairs have been carried out in it.

In 2009, the Armenian government was supposed to allocate USD 2mln for realization of the three years’ zoo reformation program. According to the Director, 57mln AMD was allocated from that sum, the remaining part was frozen because of the financial crisis. The allocated means were used in the zoo to realize new lighting, a new water-pipe was built, and a part of the zoo’s territory was asphalted.

Sahak Abovyan informed that AMD 50mln are planned to be directed to gasification, establishment and repair of bathroom unites this year.