THRISSUR: When the Thrissur Zoological Park, Wildlife Conservation and Research Centre at Puthur opens on October 28, it will not be just another project to boast of. Rather, it will mark the victory of a group of people who fought passionately over the years to ensure better facilities for animals.
Along the way, determined interventions from some, including Revenue Minister K Rajan, to follow up the vision have played their part too. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to inaugurate the Puthur zoo spread across 336 acres.
Mooted in 1978, a zoological park in Puthur remained a mere idea for several years even as demands to ensure proper space for animals in the old Thrissur zoo continued to rise. Though the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy laid the foundation stone for the zoo in March 2012, the work made little progress.
However, in 2018, KIIFB approved funding in addition to the Rs 40 crore granted by the state government. Currently, the shifting of animals from the Thrissur zoo is progressing, with the process slated to be completed by the end of October.
After the inaugural day, entry will be restricted so that the animals do not suffer any stress, according to Puthur zoo director B N Nagaraj.
“From January 1, 2026, the zoo with healthy animals will be fully open and people can watch them like in their natural habitat. We are working towards making it the best-ever experience for anyone who visits Puthur zoo,” he said.
Once the shifting is completed, Puthur will host 47 species of animals brought from the old zoo.
“Proceedings to bring animals from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are under way. Animals like Himalayan bear, crocodile, cheetah and Asiatic lion will be brought from other states while giraffe, zebra, macaw and eland (a type of antelope) have to be brought from other countries. By January, Puthur will be a thriving zoological park,” Nagaraj added.
In the 1970, several buck-tailed deer in Thrissur zoo were found dead allegedly due to ill-health and congested space. This led to a major movement after the formation of an informal forum called Friends of Zoo. M Peethamparan, its secretary, and his team made crucial interventions to make Puthur zoo a reality.
4 zones, 70 species
The zoo has been designed in the ‘land immersion’ style. A visitor will be able to watch the animal in its natural habitat which will be at a certain elevation from the walkway for the public. The animals will be kept in four different zones, namely African Zululand, Silent Valley, Shola Grassland, and Kanha. While the number of animal species to be shifted from Thrissur is 47, the zoo will have a total of 70 species once animals from other states and abroad are acquired.
In addition, a Hologram Zoo — which uses animal projections and provides information about them — and a Pet Zoo to familiarise visitors with pet animals will also be set up in Puthur. Besides, the zoological park master plan proposes to set up a captive breeding facility for Nilgiri tahr and lion-tailed macaque in the future, towards meeting conservation goals. The Puthur zoo is also equipped with an exclusive water-filtering plant, making it the only zoo in India to have such an elaborate system for the reuse of water.
KSRTC buses will be used for in-house traffic at vast zoological park while a double decker bus will operate services from Thrissur city to Puthur — a 7km journey.
Major transformation expected in tourism sector
According to rough estimates, the new zoo will have 12,000 to 20,000 visitors per day in its initial days, and will rise gradually, marking a significant transformation in Kerala’s tourism sector.
“Puthur zoo will transform this high range village and its repercussions will be felt across Kerala,” Revenue Minister K Rajan said.
