Former Mayor alleges bid to move Thiruvananthapuram Zoo animals to Vantara, Puthur

Former Mayor V.K. Prasanth has alleged that the United Democratic Front (UDF) government is planning to relocate animals in the Thiruvananthapuram zoo to the Vantara zoological centre in Gujarat and the Puthur zoo in Thrissur. A team of senior officials has been sent to Vantara for this purpose, Mr. Prasanth, who had earlier slammed Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s proposal to relocate the Thiruvananthapuram zoo from the heart of the city to elsewhere, alleged on Saturday.

Mr. Prasanth said the remarks made by Minister for Museums and Zoos O.J. Janeesh at the valedictory of the Wildlife Week celebrations, organised by the Department of Museums and Zoos, regarding privatisation of the zoo and the possibility of seeking sponsorship, indicated the government’s intentions. The Minister said it took 16 years for the Thrissur Zoological Park to shift to Puthur. He ruled out such a long wait, saying the government was trying to shift the animals to forest areas through private partnership and sponsorship.

The Minister’s announcement clearly indicated that commercial interests are at play, the former Mayor alleged.

The city zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the country categorised as ‘large’. The nearly 170-year-old zoo was also part of the city’s heritage. The animals were the guardians of the green lung that made up the zoo and museum campus. There was no doubt that the moment the zoo animals were relocated, all the trees here would be cut down, he added.

A meeting will be held at Sathyan Memorial Hall in the city at 5 p.m. on Monday (October 12) to form a ‘Thiruvananthapuram zoo protection committee’ to strengthen the demand for retaining the zoo in its current location, Mr. Prasanth said.