BENGALURU: A long-pending plan, and the first of its kind leopard safari, will soon come up on 50 acres at the Bannerghatta Biological Park. Bannerghatta houses the largest population of leopards in any zoo, and the management has been working extensively to utilise the available space for the safari.
The area earmarked for the leopard safari is different from the sloth bear safari and rescue centre. A team from Bannerghatta was sent to Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park in Maharashtra to study how leopards are housed there.
“We are not just raising the height of the fence and walls and creating deep moats, we are also working to radio-collar the leopards so that even if one escapes, tracking is easy. A 15-day trial period is also planned to study the behaviour of the animals, see how they respond to jeeps and bus movement, the presence of people around. While there is a lion and tiger safari, the leopards are different in characteristic. So caution needs to be exercised. So far, visitors to the zoo could see the leopards in enclosures,” said a senior BBP official.
Park Executive Director Vanashri Vipin Singh told The New Indian Express that the plan is to open the safari in another month or so. But the present pandemic situation and other clearances could delay it. There is also a need to undertake a detailed trial. Bannerghatta is currently home to 39 leopards. As per Central Zoo Authority rules, animals which are born in captivity or brought under animal exchange programme, can be displayed in zoos. Those rescued must not be kept for public view.
“It will not be easy. Leopards are agile and very difficult to manage. Many must have forgotten the wild leopard caught at Vibgyor school and escaping from the rescue centre overnight in February 2016 it is still fresh in our memories. We are looking at every way possible to ensure that leopards and citizens going for the safari are safe. We do not want instances where leopards shy away and don’t show or jump on vehicles to escape or even climb over the other side in search of females for mating, as the area proposed for safari is close to the national park,” said a Zoo Authority of Karnataka official.