Safari Zoo to have theme park
Lahore Safari Zoo cancelled an auction of lions from its growing pride and said it would expand current facilities instead. PHOTO: AFP
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved a proposal to establish a theme park in the Safari Zoo.
Presiding over a meeting, he issued directives to improve the recreational facilities in the Lahore and Safari zoos. A decision to reorganise both the zoos for the purpose was taken at the meeting.
The chief minister said the Safari Zoo would be made a recreation place of an international level. South Asian and African theme zones will be established in the zoo.
He revealed that food courts will be established in the Lahore Zoo and in the Safari Zoo in a forest environment. The food courts will remain open at night also.
A decision was also taken in the meeting to establish a Zoo and Wildlife Management Authority in order to provide maximum recreational facilities to the children. The CM said the authority would work for the construction and restoration of safari and other zoos across Punjab.
He highlighted that legislation would be done for setting up the authority by the provincial assembly.
An amusement park, tram and other facilities will be provided in the Safari Zoo.
It was also decided that bird shows will be organised in the Lahore Zoo for children.
The chief minister said a proposal to establish food courts on seven-kanal land adjoining the Lahore Zoo and Bagh-e-Jinnah would be reviewed. He said the facilities in the zoos would be improved as well as made attractive so that maximum number of people would visit them for recreation.
He said innovations like a tiger tunnel should be introduced in the Safari Zoo, adding that a ride history gallery should be established in the Lahore Zoo to provide awareness to the children.
He directed that breeding of birds in the zos should be considered.
He said he had had directed the officials concerned to prepare a master plan to provide better recreational facilities in the Safari Zoo during his previous tenure as chief minister, but the PML-N government had later politicised the plan like many other projects.
The wildlife director general gave a briefing to the chief minister about the zoos. Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi aso presided over a meeting in which the financial management act was reviewed.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2022.