Roars of Gujarat lions, Bengal tigers to fill Jammu air soon as Jambu Zoo nears opening

The much-awaited Jambu Zoo will be operational by April

The roars of lions from Gujarat, tigers from Bengal, sloth bears from Karnataka, crocodiles from Haryana and other wild animals will soon fill Jammu airs as the much awaited Jambu Zoo on the city outskirts will be operational by April this year.

In addition, animals and birds of 17 big and small species will also be kept in the zoo, whose biggest attraction will be the Zoo Safari on the lines of the Jungle Safari. The area of the zoo for the safari has been increased from 163.5 hectares to 229.5 hectares.

The finishing touches before the opening the zoo, like blacktopping of internal roads and laying of tiles on the pathways are pending, but authorities are sure that it will be completed by March-end.

The J&K Wildlife Department has already obtained all the mandatory clearances and formally approached the Central Zoo Authority for registration purposes. However, officials said, before approving the application, a Central Zoo Authority team will carry out an inspection of the Jambu Zoo and the same is expected anytime this month.

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A cycle and battery operated vehicle facility for the visitors to move inside the zoo premises and trekking routes of around five km will be among the facilities a visitor can avail, while a zipline swing has also been approved as an adventurous item, they said.

The Rs 62.17 crore Jambu Zoo project, one of the biggest in north India, was started in 2016 under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other reasons, the project missed several deadlines. In 2019, the Central government changed CAMPA guidelines stating that no zoo would be constructed or renovated under these funds.

Following this, the government took the decision that the funding would come from the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation’s Languishing Projects Scheme.

All the animals presently kept in the Manda Zoo in Jammu will be shifted to Jambu Zoo as per the orders of the Central Zoo Authority, sources said. The Wildlife Department has also approached several zoos in different parts of the country for the exchange of animals.

Crocodiles from Haryana, black deer from Delhi, Karnataka's sloth bears, lions from Gujarat, tigers from Bengal and black bucks are among the species that will be delighting the visitors at the Jambu Zoo during its opening in April.