Mumbai: Wildlife lovers will no longer have to travel to faroff destinations to see wild animals. The state government has proposed to set up an international zoo on 100 acres at Aarey in Goregaon which will include animals from South Africa and other countries. Another 100 acres will be utilised for research and conservation of wildlife and forestry. The project is expected to cost Rs 300 crore.
The government has proposed to import birds, animals and other wildlife species from foreign countries for exhibiting them in the zoo that it is planning to set up at a plush green plot in Aarey.
“ The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has asked us to prepare a presentation on the idea. Once we get a green signal from them and other procedures for setting up the zoo are completed, we will be signing an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with South African and other international countries to import animals and birds to be kept in the new zoo,’’ said Babanrao Pachpute, the state forest minister.
In June, the presentation for a proposed international zoo as well as research and conservation centre was made to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and deputy chief minister R R Patil. Saying that both Deshmukh and Patil have given their green signal for the project, Pachpute said, “We will make a presentation of this to Jayant Patil, the state finance minister, to ensure that financial provision are made by the state for the ambitious project of the forest department.’’
The zoo will have different sections (like reptiles, monkeys, cats, birds and many more). To avoid pollution, vehicles used for sight-seeing will be operated with batteries,
A similar plan has been mooted for Nagpur
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