Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s home district Ujjain is set to have a zoo-cum-safari featuring lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes, white tigers, panthers, and other animals, spread across 80 hectares and constructed at a cost of Rs 300 crore.
According to officials from the forest department, the construction of the zoo is expected to take approximately three years, with an initial amount of Rs 25 crore sanctioned for the project. A detailed project report includes plans for 47 different enclosures for five large carnivores, including tigers, white tigers, lions, and panthers, along with small carnivores, herbivores, birds, primates, reptiles, a butterfly dome, an aquarium, a rescue centre, a quarantine centre, and a veterinary hospital.
The zoo is also tentatively proposed to have three safaris—one for tigers or lions, one for white tigers, and another for herbivores. The idea is to allow tourists to observe animals in an open environment while moving in open jeeps.
This would be the fifth zoo in Madhya Pradesh. Speaking to ThePrint, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Subharanjan Sen said, “We are still awaiting clearance from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and based on their clearance and observations, the further course of action will be decided.”
Meanwhile, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests L. Krishnamurthy pointed out that Ujjain, given its proximity to Indore and the large footfall of devotees visiting the Mahakaleshwar temple, presents a wonderful opportunity to attract significant visitor numbers, which is essential to making zoos viable. While experts from the Wildlife Institute of India have been roped in to study the geographical location, water flow in the region, and other technical aspects, forest officials are planning to design the zoo along the lines of Bhopal’s Van Vihar, where animals can roam freely in large open spaces rather than being confined to conventional cages.
Officials from the forest department also noted that the zoo-cum-safari will function as a rescue centre where animals rescued from different parts of the state can receive treatment. With Madhya Pradesh holding the distinction of being not just a tiger state, but also a leopard state, vulture state, and gharial state, there is an increasing need for rescue centres where animals can be treated and housed if captured from the wild.
With a zoo planned in Ujjain and a proposal to house zebras and giraffes, Bhopal’s Van Vihar has submitted a proposal to the state government seeking funds to bring in five zebras and two giraffes from European and West Asian countries. As the Wildlife Protection Rules prohibit the sale of animals, these zebras and giraffes will either be received as gifts or acquired through an exchange programme involving sloth bears or leopards.
“The idea is to have a diverse collection of animals that can be housed both in Van Vihar and the newly proposed zoo in Ujjain,” another senior official from the forest department, who wished not to be named, told ThePrint. In addition to the Ujjain zoo, forest officials are also planning a similar zoo-cum-rescue centre in Jabalpur.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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