Tata Zoological Park to be relocated, company mulls Dalma and Ghorabandha

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: Kolhan Commissioner has asked Tata Steel management to relocate Tata Steel Zoological Park, which at present inside the iconic Jubilee Park. During a review meeting with company officials, commissioner Vijoy Kumar Singh asked the management to shift zoo in view of noise and disturbance caused due movement of heavy vehicles from the adjacent Marine Drive.

�The growing rush of heavy vehicles has become nuisance for the animals. The noise of vehicles disturbs the tranquility of the zoo so we have asked the company management to relocate the zoo. It would be is such a place that the animals can stay in peaceful environment,� said Singh.

The Zoo is nestled inside the Jubilee Park and has two wetlands on either side, the Subarnarekha River in its north and Jayanti Sarovar in south. The zoo is spread over an area of 40 hectares with beautifully landscaped gardens interspersed with small forest patches. The prime motto of the zoo during the last two decades of its operation has been to preserve wild flora and fauna and help them propagate in captivity. The zoo campus is having 95 species of trees. Animal enclosures are positioned in such a way that it provides visitors a feeling immersed in wild environment.

A zoo official said they have plans to either shift the zoo to Dalma area or toward Ghorabandha. However, the final decision will be taken by the management in consultation with the Government. He said that the shifting of zoo will take some time.
The foundation stone of Tata Zoo was laid in 1990 and its gates were opened for visitors on March, 3 1994. The zoo houses 439 animals which includes 19 species of mammals, 29 species of birds and four species of reptiles. The zoo has many firsts to its name-it was first zoo in India to possess pure bred African Lions and Mandrills. It is the only zoo in the region to have a Butterfly Park. It is a medium category zoo recognised by the Central Zoo Authority.