SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone for Odisha’s first-ever glass-view tiger enclosure along with underwater viewing galleries for mugger crocodiles and gharials in Sambalpur Zoo on Monday.
Taken up under the first phase of a Rs 5 crore upgradation plan, the projects mark the formal beginning of the zoo’s transformation into a mid-sized facility equipped with modern, visitor-friendly and conservation-oriented infrastructure.
Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said the natural charm of Sambalpur Zoo makes it ideal for development into one of Odisha’s major tourist attractions. The zoo will soon be counted aAmong the key tourism and attraction centers in Odisha, enhancing wildlife infrastructure would also boost environmental education for students and visitors, thereby bolstering the local economy, he stated. The forthcoming 1,400 square meter glass-view enclosure is intended to accommodate two pairs of tigers. Designed to replicate natural habitats, the enclosure will include a 155 square meter cave-style night house, a 100 square meter kraal for the medical isolation of tigers, natural rock formations, a cascading waterfall with a 50 square meter pool, wooden logs, a hillock, and a den. The night house will feature four feeding stations, a squeeze cage, and a keepers’ gallery.
What makes the enclosure a first-of-its-kind in Odisha is its 35 square metre glass-viewing gallery. The 16.8-metre-long and 2.1-metre-high installation has three layers of toughened glass. Visitors will be able to observe the tigers without obstruction, while the sound-barrier effect of the glass will ensure that the animals remain calm.
“These exhibits are designed to replicate natural habitats, helping the animals feel at ease while offering visitors a panoramic, safe and enriching viewing experience,” said DFO (Wildlife) Anshu Pragyan Das.
Pradhan also laid the foundation for underwater viewing enclosures for mugger crocodiles and gharials, each spread across 1,000 square metre. Each enclosure will accommodate four crocodiles and include basking zones with sand, stones, logs, shrubs and small trees. A quarter of each enclosure will feature an 18-metre-long glass wall.
“Satkosia gorge is the southernmost limit for gharials in India. In the past, their presence through migration was recorded up to Sambalpur in Mahanadi river. These exhibits will help people understand our freshwater species more closely,” the DFO added. Currently home to a male leopard viewable through an existing glass house, the zoo will soon receive two pairs of tigers once the new enclosure is completed.