TIRUPATI: Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park will establish Nocturnal House soon at a cost of `2.5 crore. The works will start within two weeks and the Nocturnal House will be completed within nine months, according to the tender schedule. TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal has sanctioned the funds for the project. The Nocturnal House proposed in 3 to 4 hectares of land was approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The TTD engineering wing will take up the construction work.
After completion of the project, it will be handed over to the zoo. In the Nocturnal House, the SV Zoo authorities plan to house common, rare and endangered native nocturnal animals. Most of these animals, which include mammals, reptiles and invertebrates, are rarely seen in the wild. Civet cat, porcupine, jungle cats, wild dogs, jackal, wild boars, fox, hyena, owls, bats, slender loris and some other rare cat species will be housed in it. “Here you have an opportunity to watch the nocturnal animals at your leisure as they each go about their nightly routine in their recreated habitats,” zoo curator said. The lighting will be switched to turn day into night and vice-versa. This will ensure your visit to the zoo coincides with the most active part of the daily routines of nocturnal animals and they too have time to sleep undisturbed.