Zoo recognises contributions of late former PM Manning

Members after joining in a minute of silence in respect, spent a considerable time discussing his contribution to the Zoo and to the country as a whole. It was during his first tenure as Prime Minister, that the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago received tangible support with a land lease granted in 1994 and financial resources allocated to commence the works that has transformed the Zoo into a firstclass destination which is enjoyed today by visitors. It is noted that at that time, the then Minister who piloted the project at the Cabinet’s level was current Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, as he had the Zoo as part of his portfolio.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Gupte Lutchmedial, President, ZSTT stated that the impact of Manning on the Zoo Upgrade project was to become even more significant during his third term as Prime Minister as the project had been stalled in the period in-between his administration with the revoking of the lease in 1999. However, upon his return as Prime Minister in 2002, the project was given a new life and upgrade works were restarted later on. “The first major construction works began thereafter, with the development of Phase 1 which today houses the otter exhibits, flamingoes and butterfly garden,” Lutchmedial said.

“As President of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago, I was part of a delegation that met with Mr Manning on several occasions, including Sundays, to introduce the project and his understanding and support of the vision that we had for the Emperor Valley Zoo then motivated us greatly,” Lutchmedial stated. “At the time, there were those who felt that we were over-ambitious, but the visionary that he was, saw that a zoological park of international standard would be of value to Trinidad and Tobago,” added Lutchmedial.

The Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago wants to publicly recognise the contribution of the late former Prime Minister Patrick Manning in the development of the Emperor Valley Zoo and pay tribute to one of this country’s leader who served with dignity and distinction, the Zollogical Society said.