The Hindu 11.03.2011
Ettimadai likely to be home for Coimbatore Zoo animals
- V.S. Palaniappan
- Karthik Madhavan
The Central Zoological Authority gave the nod a few days ago
In all probability, the Coimbatore Corporation Zoo will be established
on an expansive place at Ettimadai, near the city. At present, it is
situated at a congested place near the VOC Park. The Central Zoological
Authority (CZA) gave the nod a few days ago to shift the zoo to the
68.4-acre site at Ettimadai. The Coimbatore Corporation Zoo was set up
in 1965 on a 4.61-acre site, even before the Wildlife Protection Act was
legislated.
Problems cropped up in 2003 when the CZA said that the
zoo needed to be moved to a spacious location for accommodating the
varieties of species it housed. The CZA asked the Corporation to
identify land for providing better captive breeding conditions to the
animals and also ordered shifting of four solitary animals _ for
biological ventilation _ to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur
near Chennai.
The zoo has 26 reptiles, 85 mammals, 219 birds,
including 11 pea hens and eight Rosy Pelicans. The animals in the zoo
include 11 deer, 26 Bonnet Macaques, six foxes, six large and eight
small crocodiles, 11 snakes and three camels. In December 2003, a lion
(Raja, aged 22), a tigress (Rani, aged 21), Himalayan Black Bear
(Pandian, aged 26) and Pig-tailed Macaque (aged 16) were shifted to the
zoological park in Vandalur. Thereafter, the Corporation began its
marathon efforts to identify a suitable land to shift the zoo.
The authorities first identified a land belonging to the
Corporation at Kavundampalayam, a closed compost yard spread over 36
acres.
The Corporation also identified alternative lands, so that the CZA could approve one of those.
The other lands identified were a 26-acre plot at
Vellanaipatti, near Kalapatty, a 26-acre plot at Othakkal Mandapam, off
Pollachi Road – both belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable
Endowments.
The civic body also identified another 68.4 acres at
Ettimadai belonging to the Revenue Department, closer to the Coimbatore –
Palakkad National Highway.
