BHUBANESWAR: Nandankanan zoological park will get an enclosure for cheetahs. The enclosure will be built at a cost of Rs 11 crore and the project will be completed by the end of this year.
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had permitted Nandankanan to bring a pair of cheetah, a male and a female, from Dubai Safari Park under an animal exchange programme. The zoo will send three pairs of Sangai deer to Dubai Safari Park in return. As the state government has allocated special budget of Rs 50 crore for the zoo in 2024-25 fiscal, authorities said the project will be taken up early to ensure it is completed on time.
Apart from the cheetah enclosure, work on an under water crocodile enclosure will also be initiated this year. The project will be implemented at an investment of Rs 15 crore to provide better viewing experience of the reptile to the visitors. Apart from the two projects. the zoo has planned to take up a walk through aquarium project on its premises this year as per its plan to expand the existing aquarium.
Moreover, the zoo has also planned a multi-level walk through aviary by upgrading the existing one at an investment of Rs 30 crore, part of which will be completed this year itself. This apart, the zoo will come up with a new theme ‘North East panorama’ in which five enclosures will be set up for display of species from the North East.
Zoo officials said steps are also being taken for upgradation of medicinal plant garden. ENS