It costs $67 to daily collect and dispose of animal waste at the Yerevan Zoo.

In 2014, the zoo signed a 3.593 million dram contract with Sayad Baghdasaryan to dispose of animal waste.

Gayaneh Sargsyan, the zoo’s head of procurement, told Hetq that Baghdasaryan’s company takes the animal waste one place and the other garbage to the Sovetashen dump.

Thus, while the contract only covers the disposal of animal waste, Baghdasaryan takes care of all the zoo’s garbage. The bid for the job was never announced in advance.

Sargsyan says that other outfits were given a trial run at the job but came up short.

“We tried a competition and let other trash haulers try to do the job. They failed. I don’t know why you are interested, but this is one expenditure that is above board and serves its purpose,” said Sargsyan.

Sargsyan has only praise for Baghdasaryan’s work and would like to see him get the job again next year. But the zoo’s law changed as of April 1 and he will not be able to enter into a negotiated contract next year.

“Within the parameters of our budget, I will be announcing a simplified public tender bid for next year. I will sign a contract with whoever wins,” Sargsyan says.