Visitors can look forward to seeing a couple of elephant calves at the zoo soon. The Public Works Department will soon begin renovating the old elephant enclosure. Work will begin this week, zoo superintendent T.V. Anil Kumar said.
There has been no elephant at the zoo since the last one, Maheswari, an albino, died in 2015. Visitors often ask if the zoo has elephants, and Minister for Forest K. Raju had announced also plans to procure an elephant.
Approval papers for bringing giraffe, zebra, white lion, and jaguar from Africa are expected soon. The PWD has given final estimates for work on the enclosures for the giraffe and zebra. Raja, the lone giraffe at the zoo, had died in 2009, and Sita, the zebra, last year.
Work on the gaur enclosure is nearing completion. The porcupines at the zoo too are getting a new enclosure. The zoo also plans to bring hornbill and tortoise from the Nagaland zoo and common langur and some pheasants from Darjeeling. After the African white lions arrive, plans to get Asiatic lions from the Hyderabad zoo too will get a push.
A few infrastructural works at the zoo are expected to be completed soon. These include the aquarium and food court for children. Work on the zoo interpretation centre will get under way soon. It has been entrusted to Hindustan Prefab Ltd. Work for the exotic birds aviary has been tendered. Site for starting another vermicomposting unit on the zoo premises has been cleared, and work will begin soon.
Steps to build green enclosures in association with the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute will also get under way once the rains arrive.
