BENGALURU: The leopard safari at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) was inaugurated by Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Wednesday. Though the safari was ready, it was not thrown open to the public as the authorities waited for the hand-reared leopards to get accustomed to each other, and the election code of conduct to be lifted.
BBP executive director Surya Sen said the safari covered 20 hectares near the sloth bear safari, and was set up at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. It is home to 20 leopards, however, on the first day, only eight were allowed in the open. They were initially shy as they were used to only one vehicle moving around, while on the first day itself, a total of 160 safari trips were made.
The safari is part of the carnivore and herbivore safari package, and visitors to the zoo will not be charged extra. Khandre said the management is in talks with international zoos to get hunting cheetahs, chimpanzees, puma and sloths, and enclosures are also being made. The minister also took stern note of the piles of garbage, waste and plastic strewn around Bannerghatta National Park and Zoo, and directed officials to clear the mess or face action.
Speaking to the media, Khandre said that during his interaction with Union Forests Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday, he had pressed him to release the pending Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund of Rs 1,000 crore. “I also asked for Rs 100 crore to take up man-animal conflict reduction programmes, afforestation and other forest works. The minister agreed to the demands,” he said, adding that he would speak to his ministerial colleagues to ensure that roads leading to the zoo and surrounding villages are improved.
Kids to learn about conservation
Khandre also launched the improved Chinnara Vana programme, with the focus on government schoolchildren to create awareness on the environment and wildlife.
Interacting with children from Gowribidanur government school, Khandre said the project was started in 2015-16, and so far, one lakh children have visited the forests. “The programme will help children learn and conserve wildlife. The latest elephant census report ranks Karnataka first, with 6,395 pachyderms, and second in tiger population, with 563 tigers. Under the afforestation programme, last year 5.43 crore saplings were raised, however this year it is less due to the long dry spell,” he noted.
Khandre also inaugurated the renovated elephant weaning centre, created at a cost of Rs 10lakh, and named a 6-month-old elephant calf ‘Swaraj’. The calf was born to Veda, a captive zoo elephant, on January 26.
Khandre also released six Hamadryas Baboons, brought from Singapore Zoo on March 28, for public display on Wednesday, and launched battery operated vehicles for visitors.
Villagers gherao minister, demand roads
The minister was gheraoed by panchayat members and villagers from Bannerghatta grama, Ragihalli and surrounding areas. They demanded that the minister complete road works at the earliest and allow traffic movement at night too. It is now controlled by the forest department. Aware that the land acquisition matter is still in court, they told Khandre to resolve the issue and allow them to collect toll from visitors. They said that if former MP DK Suresh was in power, the issue would have been resolved. Khandre assured them that a meeting will be held to look into it.