Encourage Vaishno Devi pilgrims to visit Jammu zoo: J&K chief secretary to officials

Jammu: With a lion and a tiger being added to Jambu Zoo here next month, Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary A K Mehta has advised officials to encourage Vaishno Devi pilgrims to visit the zoo on their way to the cave shrine.

Mehta visited the Jambu Zoo at Nagrota on Monday to review the facilities being provided to the visitors besides overall functioning of the zoological park. The Jambu Zoo was thrown open to the public in May.

Touted to be one of the largest in north India, Jambu Zoo has 13 enclosures for animals that have been shifted from Manda Zoo in Jammu. Five other enclosures will house animals being brought from other zoos in the country, which includes a Royal Bengal Tiger and an Asiatic lion.

“Lakhs of pilgrims are visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills and they need to be encouraged to stop for refreshments here as the zoo which falls on their route to the cave shrine,” the chief secretary said.

He called for the installation of big permanent hoardings at the airport, railway station and on the route to the shrine to make the tourists aware about the zoo.

“The tiger can be brought in easily by October 15 and the lion by October 25,” he said, adding that they would attract visitors, especially children.

Mehta urged officials to think about bringing in a hippopotamus as an added attraction to the zoological park.

The chief secretary said the footfall to the zoo needs to be improved. “School children and other nature lovers could also be imparted with awareness about animals, their behaviour and the salient features related to them.”

Taking note of the closed cafeteria and nature interpretation centre at the zoo, Mehta called for making both these facilities functional immediately.

The chief secretary visited different animal enclosures and complimented the staff for keeping all the animals in a good shape.

Mehta took note of some of the “sinking” portions of land, and directed that experts be consulted for some low cost remedial measures to address this issue at the earliest.