Aurangabad, Dec 26:
The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration hopes that the population of tigers in the zoo would be around 25 till the much-awaited Wildlife (Safari) Park is established at Mitmita. The present population of big cats is 14. Meanwhile, the zoo administration is also facing a challenge in accomodating the existing tigers and newborns due to space shortage. Hence to avoid a further increase in population, the administration has housed tigers and tigresses in separate enclosures.
The AMC''s Siddharth Garden and Zoo attract visitors from Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh regions. A large number of school students visit the place regularly through educational trips. Two years ago, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had threatened to cancel the zoo''s permission if the prescribed parameters to maintain the zoo are not fulfilled by the custodian. Accordingly, the AMC geared up and proposed to develop Safari Park on 100 acres of land in Mitmita. The Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL) will be spending Rs 175 crores on it, it is learnt. Meanwhile, Safari Park''s works will be starting soon as the ASCDCL had finalised the first phase tender.
" The Wildlife (Safari) Park is an ambitious project of AMC. The civic body, under the guidance of CZA, will develop natural habitat, had good enclosures for wildlife animals, so that the wildlife animals can move freely without any stress. The visitors could also catch glimpses of the wildlife animals through safety mesh. The zoo administration will initiate in increasing the population of tigers in our custodian. The AMC administrator A K Pandey had given necessary instructions in this regard, said zoo director Dr B S Naikwade. He added that the tigers'' population would be around 25 until the establishment of the new park.
It is said that the birth ratio of tiger cubs in Aurangabad is highest compare to tigers of zoos in other states. Presently, there is no adequate space to accommodate these newborn cubs in the zoo. Last year, the AMC on the directives of CZA had sent two tigers to Mumbai''s zoo.