Amid Fund Crunch, Chennai Aquarium Offers Virtual Adoption Of Fish

One of the largest aquariums in India and Chennai's popular tourist spot is calling on people to virtually adopt a fish and help feed the aquatic animals amid the ongoing nation-wide lockdown.

With revenue being hit, the VGP Marine Kingdom in Tamil Nadu's Chennai is asking people to contribute money so that the administration can feed the fish and other animals at the largest walk-through tunnel aquarium.

Home to 7,000 marine and fresh water fishes from 250 species, the privately-owned aquarium requires Rs 35 lakh every month for food and electricity for maintenance, including air conditioning and water filtering.

The place drew around 3,000 visitors every day before the lockdown was imposed to control the spread of coronavirus in the country. Upto 8,000 visited the aquarium during summer vacations, officials said.

To get funds, the company has also put on offer special tickets for when the place re-opens. People can purchase a ticket at 50% off with exclusive benefits for visits over the next one year. People who virtually adopt a fish will be paying for its feed. The aquarium would send them videos of the fish being fed, along with a thank-you note.

CEO of the company, VG Premdas, said: "We are working on alternative and innovative streams of revenue. We will also introduce virtual tours soon. Its a Rs 115 crore project, a pride of Chennai. As a public aquarium we want people to also become partners. The response has been good."

Hit by a similar crunch, the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust recently initiated a fund-raising to feed its 2,000 adult crocodiles including many endangered species.