Mysuru: The state is all set to get a major new zoo with the Atal Behari Vajpayee Zoological Garden at Kamalapura in Hospete taluk of Ballari district opening its doors on November 3 during the Hampi Utsav. It will be inaugurated by CM Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Zoo Authority of Karnataka chairperson Mallige Veeresh said the Mini Ballari Zoo had been shifted from the city centre to Kamalapura on the orders of the Central Zoo Authority and developed at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
“A herbivores safari is ready and a few animals, including deer, are being shifted from the Ballari Mini Zoo to Kamalapura. The Mysuru zoo has gifted two male and three female Nilgais to it,” she added.
Mysuru zoo executive director Ravishankar, meanwhile, revealed that it planned to get red- necked wallabies, black- necked swans, a ring tail lamur, bat-eared fox, meer cats, jaguars, cheetahs and chimpanzees from the Tohoku zoo of Japan, an anaconda from the Sri Lanka zoo, a zebra from an Israeli zoo and other animals from zoos within the country.
“A few approvals are pending with the Central Zoo Authority and a few with the Union government. While animals from zoos from within the country will arrive shortly, those from abroad will take some time to arrive,” he said, adding that Mysuru zoo currently had over 1521 animals of 154 species.
The zoo, which usually attracts over 5000 visitors a day on week days and over 10,000 on weekends, saw as many as 10,969 visitors on October 18, 13,440 on October 19, and 21,596 on October 20 during the Diwali holidays.
