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Bhubaneswar, Dec 29: The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) Monday unveiled an open leopard enclosure and a walk-through bird aviary on its 55th foundation day here.
Three leopards have been kept at the leopard enclosure, which has several banyan trees. It is the third zoo in the country after Gangtok and Aizawl to have such an open enclosure with an 8,000-volt solar powered electric fence. An estimated `25lakh was spent to build the facility.
Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) SS Srivastava said that open enclosure has solar fencing and steel plates at the top to prevent the leopards from escaping.
In addition, a walk-through aviary, built on a 2,200 sq metre area, has also been opened for tourists, which is housing species like golden pigeon, silver pigeon, Mandarin duck, sun conure and Jandiya conure.
The aviary, which is 15 metres high, will have more species of colourful birds.
“We have spent `90lakh under the 13th Finance Commission grant to develop the bird aviary and it is our constant endeavour to make it one of the best aviaries in the country,” NZP deputy director Jayant Dash said.
The two facilities, which were inaugurated by state forest and environment minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, were aimed at boosting the footfall of visitors to the state’s biggest zoo.
However, the zoo remained closed for visitors Monday for its weekly maintenance.
Zoo director Sudersan Panda criticised the media for focusing on only negative issues related to zoo. “The mortality rate of animals at NZP is half of the national average, which is 3 per cent annually,” Panda claimed.
“Veterinary facilities have been improved in the zoo. The birth rate of animals in NZP has touched to 3.6 per cent annually, which is an achievement,” he said. Panda said ropeway facility at the Botanical Garden adjacent to NZP and the toy train service would begin in the next six months.
