Bengaluru, Apr 22 (IANS): Karnataka Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekar Gowda has adopted an elephant at the Mysuru zoo for a year, said an official on Wednesday.

"Gowda visited the zoo to see the preparedness of the facility to protect the animals from coronavirus and he went on to adopt a 5-year-old elephant named Chamundi," zoo official Ajit Kulkarni told IANS.

Costing Rs 1.75 lakh, the adoption will last a year till April 21, 2021 at the Mysuru Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens.

Kulkarni said Gowda has also donated Rs 25,000 more to feed 16 tigers for a day.

"Mysuru Zoo is highly thankful to Gowda for his contribution and his noble cause will definitely inspire other corporate bodies and charitable institutions to take part in this animal adoption scheme," said the zoo's statement.

According to Kulkarni, it costs Rs 10 lakh to feed an elephant for one year and the Rs 1.75 lakh adoption fee is just a token amount to encourage more adoptions.

Adoptions start from as low as Rs 1,000 for a bird at the Mysuru zoo which has pioneered the concept of adopting animals.

"In 2019, we received Rs 53 lakh towards animal adoptions," he said.