Fishy affair for bird buying in Safari Park

According to a report issued by the audit office, the Zoo Development and Welfare Fund has incurred a loss of over Rs.17 million due to non-compliance with the provisions of procurement guidelines for the purchase  of foreign birds for the Hambantota Safari Park. In the purchase of foreign birds, by imposing a condition that “a single supplier must supply 32 birds”, the bids of two suppliers have been rejected. Later, 53 exotic birds have been purchased from a selected supplier at prices higher than those offered by those suppliers.

It is further stated in the report that the cages for the exhibition of these birds had not been built in the Hambantota Safari Park until last February.