Jammu, Feb 15: The biggest zoo in North India, Jamboo Zoo coming up at Jammu, will be thrown open for the general public in April this year as around ninety-five percent of the work on it has been completed. The work on Jamboo Zoo has been expedited in the last couple of months after strict directions from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
“The Lieutenant Governor has issued strict directions that Jamboo Zoo should be thrown open for the general public in April,” Additional Wildlife Warden, Amit Sharma told Rising Kashmir, adding, “Only blacktopping of the roads inside the zoo and some finishing touches like painting work of some of the animal enclosures are remaining while all other works have been completed. It will be thrown open any time in April.”
The Wildlife Department is putting in place 19 animal enclosures in the Jamboo Zoo to keep protected the rare and attractive animal and bird species.
Jambo Zoo is named after the founder of Jammu city, King Jambu Lochan. It is coming up at Khanpur, Nagrota, on the outskirts of Jammu City, and is spread over an area of 162 hectares (3200 kanals). The main attractions of North India’s largest zoo are going to be the Royal Bengal Tigers, the Asiatic Lions, the Black Bucks (Kala Hiran) and the commonly known Gadiyals and the Crocodiles.
To start with, 27 species of rare animals and birds will be brought from different states of the country and kept in the zoo. Except for Chandigarh, the Royal Bengal Tigers, the Black Bucks and the Asiatic Lions are nowhere there in any of the zoos in North India. “The talks to shift these rare and attractive animals to Jamboo Zoo are in the final stages,” Amit Sharma said, adding, that the shifting will start soon after working out the modalities.
A pair of each animal and bird (male and female) like the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Asiatic Lion, the Gadiyal, Crocodile, the Black Bucks and others will be brought here from other states of the country, the official said.
The talks for bringing here the Royal Bengal Tigers have been going on with Orissa, similar talks for the Asiatic Lion have been going on with the authorities of Gujrat, the talks for shifting Black Bucks in the Jamboo Zoo have been on with the authorities of Delhi Zoo, the talks for shifting Gadiyal to Jamboo Zoo have been going on with the authorities of Lucknow- Utter Pradesh (UP), the talks to shift Crocodiles are on with the authorities of Harayana, officials informed Rising Kashmir.
Similarly, the talks for shifting other animals and birds with the authorities of different states of the country are in the final stages, they said.
