PNS | DEHRADUN
Visitors to the Dehradun zoo will also be able to view two tigers. Forest minister Subodh Uniyal inaugurated the tiger enclosure in the zoo on Monday. The enclosure was inaugurated after the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) granted its permission on November 8 to house the big cats in the zoo for the public to view.
Uniyal said that the tiger enclosure in the zoo was constructed as per the set standards after the green signal from the CZA. The tiger enclosure has been built as part of the safari area spread across a 20 hectare area in the Dehradun zoo. Presently the enclosure has two male tigers brought here from the Dhela rescue centre in Corbett tiger reserve. These two tigers were rescued from different parts of the State and kept in Dhela before being brought to the Dehradun zoo. They were brought to the Dehradun zoo following the approval and directions of the State’s chief wildlife warden in February last year. One of the tigers is aged six years and nine months while the other is aged four years and nine months, the minister said.
Since Uttarakhand is ranked third in the nation when it comes to tiger population, the establishment of a tiger enclosure in Dehradun is a commendable step aimed at raising public awareness and encouraging wildlife conservation, Uniyal added.
The principal chief conservator of forests Dhananjai Mohan, principal secretary of Forests and Environment, RK Sudhanshu, chief wildlife warden Ranjan Kumar Mishra and other departmental officials were also present on the occasion.
