Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s recent proposal to shift Thiruvananthapuram Zoo from the heart of the city to the forest fringes of Neyyar or Palode has stirred a debate over one of the capital city’s most enduring landmarks.
Spread across 55 acres, the zoo is not merely a collection of animal enclosures. It is a repository of history, heritage and urban biodiversity.
Satheesan’s suggestion comes amid the changing idea of zoos — whether animals should continue to be housed in the heart of a growing city. And it has divided opinion.
For some, relocating the zoo would mean losing a piece of Thiruvananthapuram’s heritage. Others see it as an opportunity to create a more natural setting for animals while giving the existing site a new purpose.
Politicians, too, have taken different positions. Mayor V V Rajesh of the BJP has backed the idea, while the Left has opposed it and alleged that vested interests are at play.
Health Minister K Muraleedharan reiterated the CM’s position, stating that the zoo will be relocated to a space near Neyyar Dam.
Beyond the political debate are the views of technical experts, historians, heritage enthusiasts and conservationists. Their concerns broadly converge on three questions: infrastructure, heritage and biodiversity.
Here we speak to some:
‘It is a Good idea in the wrong state’
Dr Jacob Alexander, former resident veterinary doctor, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
The idea is good, but this is the wrong state. One that doesn’t provide funds and lacks professionalism in such matters. We have lots of examples where we have utterly failed in taking care of animal welfare. The Neyyar Lion Safari Park and the Kottoor Elephant Sanctuary are examples — see what we have done. We mostly do only lip service for animals. Even the new Puthur Zoological Park in Thrissur lacks proper facilities.
You cannot compare our state with the West, where a qualified vet has to do a seven-year course to touch a wild animal.
Here, they have not been able to comply so far with the Central Zoo Authority’s direction that there should be two doctors on the rolls. The number of doctors in the forest department is also not adequate.
Not even the basics are in place, yet we are talking of grand relocation plans. So, I am quite pessimistic. In a space faraway, even timely medical attention for the animals might become difficult.
Moreover, I doubt if the CM’s statement was for the animals’ sake. He was referring to Madison Square… the emphasis lay elsewhere.
There are several such legendary zoos in India, like the Kolkata Alipore Zoo, which is still being maintained as a learning ground for biodiversity for students and enthusiasts. So, instead of correcting fundamental flaws, like allowing the Nishagandhi auditorium to be built near the zoo, we are discussing a huge project with no proper basic framework. That, too, at a time when the state is facing financial distress.
‘The space can be developed into an urban forest’
Dr Kannan C S Warrier, director of Kerala Forest Research Institute
The idea of caging animals has passed now. Natural habitats for animals are gaining ground. Zoos are turning into zoological parks.
Look at the Thrissur zoo, which was in the heart of the city before, but has now been relocated to Puthur as a zoological park. KFRI helped them create that space at Puthur, like in the case of Silent Valley. We did afforestation and special landscaping for the facility.
The space vacated in Thrissur has been kept intact as a green lung. I guess the Thiruvananthapuram facility can also be developed into an urban forest, keeping its heritage trees intact, where migratory birds can roost.
The model of sacred grove conservation can be followed there. It could also be a space for rainwater recharge, and the wetlands in the space now can be effectively used for urban flood mitigation.
It is indeed a heritage spot, but as the city around it has grown, the animals could feel stressed. We have to make sure the space after shifting is utilised well. We could create a green swathe where people can interact with nature and keep the memories of Thiruvananthapuram alive with all its heritage intact. It can also be a living lab for students, where urban forestry and climate change can be studied in an open-air eco lab.
‘We can have a biodiversity park’
Dr G M Nair, former director of Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute and an infrastructure expert
As far as I understand, only the zoo is shifting. The other walkways and other heritage aspects will remain.
This is basically to develop the zoo into a near-natural setting to create a living theatre for animals and man. In the case of Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, the constraints of a crowded city would make it difficult for such an expansion. The animals would also not be able to tolerate the city dynamics now.
However, what needs to be scrutinised is how the space will be used after the shifting. It should house eco-centric facilities like a biodiversity park — a green lung for citizens.
There are several waterbodies in the area now, which could aid in developing an eco-park that could be used for infotainment. So, all politics aside, the move to shift is welcome, but how the space will transform should be watched closely.
‘Should not ignore heritage aspect’
Uma Maheshwari, Travancore history researcher
A lot of history sleeps on the premises around the zoo, which was the brainchild of Maharaja Swati Thirunal. Conceived from his personal collection of animals — the rhino that was housed in Rangavilas Palace, the camel that he had brought, the stag he owned, etc. — the zoo was formally established by his predecessor, Maharaja Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma and British Residents General William Cullen and J A Brown on the model of the London Zoo in 1859.
In the later years, several rare species were added to the biodiversity stock of the area, making it the city’s main green lung.
It is also true that the caging of animals is something that has to change. Hence, what we need to see is how you plan to use the spot after the shifting.
If it is going to be another protest ground or concrete monolith, it is better that the current facility is left as it is. It shouldn’t be the case of losing the tent itself to the ambitious camel. Hence, people may be wary when such proposals come up.
The micro-ecosystem and its heritage are too rich to be ignored. We should not lose all these in the name of development. Let there be a proper discussion on how the area will be repurposed.
‘Should not affect the micro-ecosystem’
Y Mohammed Anwar, deputy forest conservator and state nodal officer of Snake Awareness, Rescue and Protection (SARPA)
There are both positives and negatives to this. From the perspective of caged animals, it is a good move because zoo design across the globe is shifting from cages to enclosures that replicate their natural habitats.
That said, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is a vegetation-rich area and home to several kinds of fauna that need not be caged. Nesting birds, nocturnal avians, water birds, butterflies and mammals such as squirrels all live there naturally. For them, the zoo’s natural setting is their home.
So, even if the caged animals are shifted, any ‘development work’ that requires the removal of vegetation could deprive this natural fauna of its habitat. That would affect not just the animals but the environment as a whole, and should not happen. Animals, whether caged or uncaged, should be cared for.