Chhatbir Zoo may get toy train, cycles for visitors soon

As a part of the ongoing Wildlife Week celebrations across the state, the State Level Function for this year was organized at Chhatbir Zoo on Friday, in which the Minister of Forests and Wildlife Conservation, Surjit Kumar Jiyani, was present as the chief guest of the function. Jiyani announced that as a part of the celebrations, the zoos at Chhatbir, Patiala and Bhatinda will have allow free entry for all in order to attract visitors.

"A total area of 32656.97 hectares has been declared to be protected in the form of 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries and two Community Reserves and one Conservation Reserve has been established," Jiyani said.

" Five captive breeding facilities are to be established and three water bodies, Harike, Kanjali and Ropar, have been declared as International Ramsar Sites," he also added.

Jiyani announced the upgradation of Chhatbir Zoo by adding new features like the Nocturnal House, Reptile House, Falcon Breeding Centre as well as facilities for visitors' convenience, such as drinking water, toilets and sign boards. He said that the Deer Safari is being formed at Bir Talab, Bathinda for better conservation of black bucks and other deer.

It was announced that Chhatbir Zoo, and the Keshopur, Harike and Ropar wetlands have been declared as eco-tourist sites and are being developed under the Asian Development Bank Project.

Additionally, a Wildlife Research Station is being set up at Harike Wildlife Sanctuary in collaboration with WWF- India for bio-monitoring of the Harike aquatic system and Beas River.

The Punjab Heritage Tourism Board is promoting the eco-tourism board, which is to be introduced in Chhatbir and Bhatinda zoo and several modern facilities are being introduced for the same, including drinking water, toilets and signage.

Jiyani highlighted that new projects are being started by the government, including the classification of the Harike lake and its adjoining Beas River system as a High Value Biodiversity Area (HVBA) and the formation of the Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan, which is under process.

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