GUWAHATI, Aug 29 - The Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden, located in the undulating Hengerabari hillocks in the heart of the city, is in for a makeover.
As part of a master plan approved by the Central Zoo Authority, officials have set in motion a slew of measures to give a facelift to the fifty-eight year old zoo, one of the prime tourist attractions in the city.
Phase-wise, the State Zoo authorities plan to replace all the old animal enclosures with new ones.
�So far we have replaced eight old enclosures � like those for the Assamese macaque, hyena, fox etc � with new ones. Process is on to replace all the old enclosures,� Zoo DFO SK Seal Sharma told The Assam Tribune.
A new �nocturnal house� is also on the anvil at the zoo.
�Some nocturnal animals like the owl tend to show up only in the dark. The nocturnal house will give visitors a chance to see such inmates. It will be an altogether new experience for the visitors,� the DFO said.
Also, as part of the plan, new water systems, toilets, medical facilities etc., will be built at the zoo, besides revamp of the lanes and service roads in the campus.
While two battery-operated cars are already being used to facilitate visitors, the zoo authorities plan to add two more such vehicles soon.
�The earlier ones were five seaters. We plan to bring in two seven-seater vehicles,� Sharma said.
On the other hand, the water-logging on the RG Baruah Road has been impacting the footfall at the facility.
Sharma said normally, there is a rush of visitors in the month of July when the educational institutions have their summer vacation. �However, during that month this year, the RG Baruah Road was under waters on several days, affecting turnout at the zoo,� he said.
Last year, the State Zoo earned a revenue of Rs 1.73 crore. This year, the authorities have a set a target to augment it to Rs 2 crore.
A month back, the State Zoo had received a pair of Asiatic lions � one male and one female � and six mouse deer from the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad as part of the animal exchange programme.
Built in 1957, the State Zoo occupies an area of 1.75 sq km, of which natural forest covers some 110 hectares.
