Efforts on to shift Corporation Zoo

The Hindu        08.11.2010

Efforts on to shift Corporation Zoo

Coimbatore: In an effort to end the long stalemate over the shifting
of the Corporation Zoo at VOC Park from the cramped 4.61 acre site, the
Corporation has identified another piece of 27 acres of land belonging
to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department
at Othakkal Mandapam on Pollachi Road.

The land was recently inspected by the Corporation Commissioner
Anshul Mishra, Deputy Commissioner S. Prabhakaran and Joint Commissioner
of HR&CE, P.R. Ashok.

Mr. Anshul Mishra said that the process was in the preliminary stages
and the Corporation is writing to the HR&CE department and
Government for getting permission to use the land.

Since reassignment of the HR&CE land for Corporation would be
difficult, authorities are exploring the possibilities of either taking
it on lease or on a revenue sharing basis.

The process involves getting the Government nod and the consent of the Central Zoological Authority (CZA).

If both come through, works would begin immediately for establishing the zoo and shifting the animals.

The zoo at OK Mandapam would have wider audience in terms of people from Pollachi and Kerala.

If all goes well, the works would begin by mid 2011 and completion
would take about 18 months giving a gift to entertainment-starved people
of this region, official sources said.

The Central Zoological Authority (CZA), the governing body and
licensing authority for Zoological Parks in 2004 inspected the present
Zoo and said that the land is inadequate for providing ideal habitat for
the wildlife in captivity.

It also called for shifting the single animals such as lion, tiger,
bear and porcupines since they were not having any companions for
biological needs and bringing companions was ruled out for want of
space.

Hence, they were shifted to the Vandalur Aringar Anna Zoological Park at Chennai.

The Corporation immediately began efforts for identifying land for accommodating the zoo.

First the Corporation land at Kavundampalayam (erstwhile compost
yard) was chosen for setting up a replica of the Nilgiris Biosphere
Reserve having the zoo in it.

Since it was an urban ambience, the proposal was dropped.

Then the administration identified land at Ettimadai at the foot hills of Western Hills.

For this land, undulated terrain and access proved to be a problem because of a small underpass beneath a railway line.

Now, the authorities have identified the Othakkal Mandapam land.

The Corporation Zoo at VOC Park has 26 reptiles, 85 mammals and 219
birds. Of the birds, 11 are peahens and eight are Rosy Pelicans.

There are 11 deer, 26 bonnet macaques, six foxes, six large crocodiles and eight smaller ones, three camels and 11 snakes.

The Corporation Zoo has a rich history of having come up in 1965 even
before the Wildlife Protection Legislations came into being.