Dharmendra urges forest min to upgrade Sambalpur zoo to medium category | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to the Union forest and environment minister, Bhupender Yadav, urging him to upgrade Sambalpur zoo into a medium category one.In the letter, he said, “The zoo, which started functioning in 1980, evolved from a modest deer park to a vital centre for wildlife conservation and public education. In 2022, the zoo evaluation committee recommended upgradation and there will be an addition of 18 to 20 hectares of adjoining land, also part of Motijharan Reserve Forest. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has also permitted an animal exchange programme with Nandankanan zoo. In light of these developments, I request you to support the proposed expansion and upgradation of Sambalpur zoo in the interest of enhancing its role as a centre for wildlife conservation and education in the region.”In 2023, CZA declared Sambalpur zoo, which currently falls under the ‘small zoo’ category with an area of 13.58 hectares, as a zoo and conservation centre. The present footfall at the zoo, which has a full-time veterinarian, hospital, animal keeper and full-strength forest frontline staff, varies between 1,000 and 1,500 daily. It has also undertaken a few successful animal exchange programmes of schedule-1 species with other zoos during 2023 and 2024 with the approval of CZA. The zoo also conducted a successful animal translocation programme from Sambalpur zoo to Debrigarh sanctuary last year.
