Bengaluru: After Karnataka’s recent ‘jumbo diplomacy’ with Andhra Pradesh, Kerala has now approached its neighbour for support in developing India’s first designer zoo at Puthur near Thrissur.
On Thursday, Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran met with Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, seeking guidance on in-situ wildlife conservation and requesting animal exchanges. Kerala hopes to benefit from Karnataka’s experience in managing forest department-led zoological parks, a model unlike its own, where zoos fall under the Museums and Zoos Department.
“This will be the first zoo under our forest department, spread across 136.8 acres, and designed by globally renowned zoo architect Jon Coe. We aim to open it to the public by the end of August,” Saseendran noted during the discussion.
He also expressed interest in acquiring surplus animals from Karnataka’s zoos, including a pair of great hornbills, a sloth bear, and an Indian gaur. Karnataka officials, however, informed him that any such transfers must follow the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)-approved Animal Exchange programme.
In a lighter moment, Karnataka forest officials jokingly asked if Kerala was interested in leopards, citing the state’s abundance of the big cat.
Beyond zoo matters, the ministers also exchanged notes on pending deemed forest classifications, conservation measures, and action taken on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Report regarding ecologically sensitive zones.
The collaboration marks a new chapter in interstate environmental cooperation as Kerala prepares to unveil a one-of-a-kind zoological experience.
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