Ending a three-decade wait, the Puthur zoological park has become a reality. Forest Minister K. Raju inaugurated online the first phase of Asia’s second largest zoological park on Saturday.
Animals will be transferred to the park by the end of February.
Minister for Local Self-Government A.C. Moideen presided. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac delivered the keynote address.
Ministers C. Raveendranath and V.S. Sunil Kumar, Government Chief Whip K. Rajan, Geetha Gopi, E.T. Tyson, and V.R. Sunil Kumar, MLAs, Mayor M.K. Varghese, Thissur Zoological Park Director K.S. Deepa, and others participated.
Four animal shelters, park head office, and hospital complex have been completed in the first phase.
The zoological park in 136.85 ha has 23 shelters for wild animals. It has a spacious parking facility, basic amenities for visitors, and hospital for animals. Eminent Australian zoo expert Jon Coe has designed the park. The park has been set up at ₹360 crore, including ₹269.75-crore KIIFB fund and ₹40-crore Plan fund.
Forest ambience
The new park will allow birds and animals to move around freely in spacious shelters in forest ambience. Around 10 lakh plants and trees will be planted in stages.
Zoo authorities expect around 30 lakh visitors a year. Hotels and other facilities have also been coming in the area. The road towards the park has been modernised.
A tourist corridor, connecting the zoological park with the Peechi dam and backwaters, is likely to find a place in the tourist map soon.
