CHENNAI: When recreational spaces like theatres have night shows, malls open till late at night and shopping streets bustling with crowds until midnight, how would you like to have a ‘night safari’ inside the city’s dearest zoo? Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as Vandalur zoo, has rekindled its hopes of introducing night safaris. Preliminary discussions were held at Secretariat on Monday with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Chief Secretary K Shanmugam.
The ambitious night safari plan was first mooted in 2007 inside the 92.45 hectare rescue and rehabilitation centre. But, it was deferred on a controversial note, after audit objections were raised, following spending of State funds without proper orders from the government. Some of the infrastructure created back then, like animal cages, circular roads, etc., still remain unused. Senior officials in the State Environment and Forest Department told Express that the plan, as such, is a good idea, but its implementation was botched-up earlier. “We want to revive the proposal and take it forward afresh. As a first step, preliminary discussions were held today.
We’re planning for something on the lines of Singapore zoo night safari.”The objective is to introduce the nocturnal life of animals to visitors. “It’s during night time that many of these animals are active. It would be a great learning experience for tourists to see the world of nocturnal creatures and their dimly-lit habitats,” a zoo official said. Vandalur zoo is one place which gives a live experience of knowing the habitual expressions of almost 2,644 animals of 171 different species, including many endangered and exotic varieties.
It attracts more than 20 lakh visitors every year from across the country and the world. Meanwhile, authorities said discussions were also held on upgradation and enhancement of the zoo. “Currently, the animals are spread across the park. There is a plan to catalogue them, like, group all the asiatic animals in one section of park. This will allow the visitors to tour and visit the enclosures in a pattern and the learning would be easy for children,” the official added.
Zoo statistics
Vandalur zoo is one place which gives a live experience of knowing the habitual expressions of almost 2,644 animals of 171 different species, including many endangered and exotic varieties. It attracts more than 20 lakh visitors every year from across the country and the world
171
species, including many endangered and exotic varieties are found in the Vandalur zoo. It attracts more than 20 lakh visitors every year from across the country