Sunday, Dec 05, 2010
Coimbatore: The Central Zoological Authority (CZA) has served a notice on the Coimbatore Corporation seeking details regarding the proposal to shift the Corporation Zoo from the present cramped premises before the end of December.
The details should be on the proposed site, project report and time frame for getting the infrastructure ready for shifting the zoo.
The Corporation sources have confirmed that a letter has been received in this regard.
The zoo, established in 1965 even before the wildlife protection legislations came into being, is functioning on a 4.62-acre.
The zoo has 26 reptiles, 85 mammals and 219 birds. In addition, there are 11 deer, 26 bonnet macaques, six foxes, six large crocodiles and eight smaller ones and three camels and 11 snakes.
The CZA during its inspection in 2004 found the land inadequate to provide an ideal habitat to the wildlife in captivity and asked for shifting the zoo to a spacious place.
The authorities had been on the job of identifying the land for quite some time.
The places identified earlier were either dropped or rejected by various agencies stating that they were not conducive to have a zoological park.
Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra, Deputy Commissioner S. Prabhakaran and Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.R. Ashok zeroed in on 26 acres at Othakkal Mandapam on Pollachi Road and another 25 acres at Kalapatti, both belonging to the HR&CE Department.
Proposals
The proposals have been sent to the Government for working out the modalities for utilising the land.
The CZA is also monitoring the breeding of the species in captivity. As the authorities are struggling to provide arrangements for the comfortable accommodation of the species, the CZA is likely to order closure of the zoo and take away the animals.
However, the Corporation machinery is on top gear now to submit the details and obtain approval for any one of the sites, so that Coimbatore does not lose the zoo.
