Jaipur lion safari to open for public in Oct first week
Residents of Pink City can enjoy lion safari at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur from October first week.
Forest minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar inaugurated on Thursday Rajasthan’s first lion safari project at the biological park spread across 38 hectares after a meeting of the state wildlife board at the secretariat, chief wildlife warden GV Reddy said. “The safari will start from the first week of October.”
The park, inaugurated by chief minister Vasundhara Raje in June 2016, will not only provide a new habitat to the lions but also add a tourism venue to the Pink City. The park has proved suitable for breeding and being a centre of attraction for tourists.
In August 2017, an Asiatic lioness, Tejika, gave birth to three cubs — Tara, Tripura and Tejas — in the park. Tejika, brought from Gujarat’s Junagarh in January 2016, died in January 2018 after a cardiac arrest. Wolves, jackals, and hyenas have also given birth in the park.
The park has 10 enclosures, and the three cubs of Tejika — all 16 months old — have been shifted to enclosures, Reddy said. Seven more lions will be brought to the park from Junagarh under an exchange programme, he said, adding the state government has spent Rs 4 crore to develop the biological park.
The state wildlife board approved inclusion in the park of 210 sqkm area of Sitamata Sanctuary (Pratapgarh) and 33sqkm area of Jaisamand Sanctuary (Udaipur). “The decision to include nearby lands of the two sanctuaries is a good step. In India, 4.9% of total land comes under protected area, whereas in Rajasthan it is 2.9%. Experts believe the protected areas should be around 10-12%,” said Dharmendra Khandal, a member of the board.
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