THRISSUR: Employees at the under-construction Puthur Zoological Park are working day and night to learn and understand the behavior of the animals housed there, including the 33 birds shifted from the old zoo in Thrissur.
Designed by international artist Jon Coe, the facility, officially the Thrissur Zoological Park, Wildlife Conservation and Research Centre, is a dream project of the state.
Ahead of its opening later this year (2024), the veterinary team and zoo-keepers are painstakingly setting routines and identifying the behavioral traits of the animals to devise an optimal system for their upkeep.
Zoo director R Keerthi says the zoo will follow the landscape immersion model as advised by Coe, which will offer tourists a memorable experience.
“We are trying our best to make the spaces, housing the animals, as natural and beautiful as possible, so that people feel like they are watching the animals in their natural habitat,” says Keerthi.
Her day starts with a full tour of the 136.28-hectare park, reviewing construction works, visiting each animal, and talking to the zoo keepers and clerical staff.
Learning animals' behavior is easier said than done. Keerthi explains, “When tigresses Durga and Vaiga were brought to Puthur from Wayanad, none of us slept for a week. We monitored their each and every movement. We enjoyed the experience though. Now, their keeper has developed a bond with them,” Keerthi says.
The veterinary hospital at the zoo, which has a dedicated team of experienced veterinary surgeons, is already functional, caring for the animals brought to the park. The staff had a challenging time when Leo, an abandoned leopard cub, was brought from Nenmara as it was weak and wounded. The team persevered. Their efforts paid off and Leo recovered. Rudra, the tiger caught in Wayanad, is also under treatment at the hospital.
The birds shifted from Thrissur to Puthur include peacocks, pheasants, quail, and barn owls.
“They have started adapting to the new environment. We are easing this process by serving them the right food and the right medication,” says Akhil, one of the zoo's curators.
The government in 2012 decided to shift animals from the Thrissur zoo to Puthur. Though construction of the new facility began with an estimate of `150 crore, delay in acquiring forest land hit the project.
In 2016-17, it was decided to use the KIIFB fund for the project, speeding up the work.
Coe had visited the land identified for the park, along with a team of architects, in 2012 itself and drawn up the design in a way that did not disturb its natural terrain and beauty.
He emphasized on following the landscape immersion concept and the enclosures were designed accordingly.
“The enclosures are on a slightly elevated spot so that animals get priority while at the same time allowing people to spot them easily,” says Akhil.
The design has 23 enclosures, including a vast area for birds. The zoo has been divided into different zones like the Silent Valley Zone, where the Lion-tailed macaque and similar animals will be displayed, the African Zone and others.
Vegetation has been selected carefully to set the mood of each zone.
M Peethambaran, the secretary of Friends of Zoo, an environmental club, says officials of Kerala Forest Research Institute had suggested Coe's name for designing the zoo.
“Coe was set to visit India at the time. The state government contacted him and he agreed to come to Kerala. He was here for two weeks, making the design. He also applauded the choice of land for the zoo as it is rare to get such spaces,” says Peethambaran.