CM Satheesan pitches shifting Thiruvananthapuram zoo to forest area

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (PTI) Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday suggested relocating the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, considered as one of the oldest zoological parks in the subcontinent, to a forest area, saying its present location in the heart of the city was inappropriate.

Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Reimagining Keralam’ programme here, Satheesan said keeping animals in a zoo in the middle of the city amounted to cruelty as they belonged in their natural habitats.

“Is this zoo in Thiruvananthapuram city really supposed to be here? This is cruelty towards animals. Animals have their own natural habitat. We should shift it to Neyyar or some other forest area,” he said.

The Chief Minister suggested relocating the zoo closer to the natural habitat of animals and developing it to international standards.

Describing the proposal as his "dream project", he said he was placing the idea before the people.

Satheesan also suggested converting the existing zoo site into a beautiful public space, on the lines of Madison Square in the US.

Spread across 30 acres, the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the country's oldest and largest zoos. Established in 1859 as an adjunct to the Museum by the erstwhile Travancore royals, it attracts around 14 lakh visitors annually.

The zoo houses 1,025 animals belonging to 98 species and has a natural lake and wooded landscapes that support 93 species of free-roaming birds, including migratory species. It also provides habitat for various butterflies, dragonflies, ants, beetles and spiders, while more than 100 species of indigenous and exotic plants add to its natural setting. PTI