BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
KOLKATA, 9 MAY 2023:
The state forest department is scouting for land for setting up the first mini zoo of Paschim Baradhaman district in the steel city of Burnpur. It will be the 13 th zoo in the state.
Already, the West Bengal Zoo Authority (WBZA), the apex monitoring authority for Zoo operations in the state has given nod to set up the first mini zoo of Paschim Bardhaman district, one of the newest districts of the state in a letter to DFO of Durgapur recently.
Incidentally the undivided erstwhile Burdwan district had one mini zoo in Burdwan town, Ramnabagan Zoo ( Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary) . It is now under Purba bardhaman district. There is also a mini zoo in Surulia, in the neighbouring district of Purulia.
Talking to the www.thetravelandtourismtimes.com, Mr. Moloy Ghatak, law, judiciary and labour minister said that acting upon a request of the local people, the state government has earlier sent a proposal to the West Bengal Zoo Authority and it has been recently approved.
“ Our state government is keen to develop the tourism sector in West Bengal. I Asansol we have coal mines, Kalyaneswari Temple, Maithon Dam, Ghaghar Buri Temple, Nehru Park, Jain era Bagunia Temples in Barakar, River Damodar, birth place of Kazi Nazrul Islam in Churulia and all are being developed to boost tourism. At this juncture the mini zoo in Burnpur will be an added attraction for tourism in Asansol,” added Mr. Moloy Ghatak.
Large number of migratory birds also visit every year in the wetlands of Asansol, Burnpur and Chittaranjan.
Mr. Moloy Ghatak further said that already a parcel of land avaialable besides the airstrip of iisco Steel Plant has been inspected for setting up the Mini Zoo.
Mr. Buddhadeb Mondal, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Durgapur said that the forest department is working for the first Mini Zoo Project in Paschim bardhaman District. The works are in preliminary stages and at present land identification process is going on.
Once the land is finalised the Detail Project Report (DPR) will be prepared.
The mini zoo will likely have enclosures for wild animals like crocodiles, birds, leopards, deer, tortoises, monkeys, snakes etc.
At present there are 12 zoos and mini zoos in the state : Zoological Garden, Alipoire ( Kolkata), Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, North Bengal Wild Animals Park ( Bengal Safari), Siliguri, Junglemahal Zoological Park, Jhargram, Sundarbans Wild Animals Park, Jharkhali, South 24 Parganas, Bardhaman Zoological park, Ramnabagan, Bardhaman, Raseekbill Mini Zoo, Coochbehar, Surulia Mini Zoo, Purulia, Garchumuk Deer Park, Howrah, Adina Deer Park, Malda, South Khairbari Leopard Safari , Rehabilitation Centre and Mini Zoo, Alipurduar, Harinalaya Deer Park, New Town.
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