Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the year-long 125th anniversary celebrations of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, popularly known as the Mysuru zoo, on August 10.
As part of the historic moment at the country’s one of the oldest and prestigious zoos, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is on his first-ever visit to the zoo after assuming charge as the CM four years ago, will inaugurate a 500-seater open-sky amphitheatre, release a documentary on the zoo’s journey and a postage stamp. He will also name an elephant calf that was born recently.
Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) chairperson Mallige Veeresh, Member Secretary and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.P. Ravi and Zoo Executive Director Ravishankar held a joint press conference on Tuesday to share details of the 125th fete.
Ms. Veeresh said the Chief Minister will unveil a 20 ft tall commemorative stone plaque marking the occasion. The CM will also be taken around the zoo with other dignitaries in battery-operated buggies after the inauguration and a stage programme will follow. Minister in-charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa and Forest Minister B. Ramanath Rai will be present.
As part of the celebrations, the All India Zoo Directors’ Conference had been planned in January next and the All India Wildlife Veterinarians Conference this year besides resuming Conservation Speaks – a lecture series by experts in wildlife conservation.
The amphitheatre was conceptualised and its work was completed when Mr. Ravi was Zoo Director about two years ago. He said the amphitheatre had been aesthetically designed and would be useful for holding conservation education activities.
Mr. Ravi said the zoo intends to expand its education programmes to other zoos in the State and provide access to physically-challenged persons on Tuesdays, which happens to be a holiday for visitors, as a special gesture.
With regard to the parking issue, he said a proposal had been sent to the government for the construction of an exclusive parking facility for visitors of the zoo, Mysuru palace and Dasara exhibition on a portion of a 14-acre plot within the exhibition grounds. This will ease the parking problems faced by tourists visiting the zoo, he added.
The construction of an underpass from the existing parking facility to avoid traffic congestion on the busy road in front of the zoo had also been proposed, he said.
