AP panel proposes Singapore-style Mandai model for Tirupati and Vizag zoos
The Andhra Pradesh Legislature Committee on Wildlife & Environment Protection presented its first report in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, recommending a comprehensive revamp of the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati and the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam.
The committee, chaired by Speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, with MLAs Gondu Sankar Rao and Vegesna Narendra Varma Raju as members, submitted the report to the House. It outlines a series of measures aimed at modernising both facilities.
Key general recommendations include filling all vacant posts immediately, appointing additional veterinary doctors and staff, providing a toy train facility, encouraging public-private partnerships, promoting zoo tourism and animal adoption, increasing the annual budget allocation, and developing both parks on the lines of Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The committee also suggested creating facilities to keep visitors engaged for the full day.
For the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, the committee recommended mobilising ₹3 crore from MPLADS funds of regional MPs. It also proposed integrating the zoo, Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, the beach, and Kailasagiri into a single tourism circuit, with a foot overbridge or underpass to connect the zoo and the sanctuary for safe visitor movement.
For the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, the committee suggested free bus services and setting up zoo ticket counters at various locations in Tirupati and on Tirumala Hills. It also recommended a dedicated water pipeline, appointment of multilingual guides, and mobilisation of funds from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Further, the committee recommended that District Collectors allot ₹3 crore per annum from CSR funds for each zoo’s development, and that TTD provide ₹3 crore annually for the Tirupati park. It also urged collaborative measures to attract more pilgrims visiting Tirumala to the zoo, noting that only 4% of pilgrims currently visit.
The Visakhapatnam zoo, established in 1972 and opened to the public in May 1977, is the fourth largest in India by area, spanning 625 acres in the Seethakonda reserved forest of the Eastern Ghats. It houses 108 species, comprising approximately 1,404 animals, including carnivores, herbivores, birds, reptiles, primates, and rodents. The Central Zoo Authority recognises it as the coordinating zoo for conservation and breeding of Asiatic wild dogs.
The Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park is an ex-situ conservation facility in the foothills of the Seshachalam hill range. Its foundation was laid on September 29, 1987, by the then Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao. The total earmarked area is 1,254.71 hectares, with 289 hectares developed so far. The remaining 965.71 hectares are proposed for safaris and new enclosures. The zoo currently holds 84 species and 943 animals.
The committee’s report signals a significant push towards upgrading the state’s zoological parks, with a focus on conservation, visitor experience, and sustainable funding. If implemented, these measures could transform the parks into major attractions on par with leading global wildlife reserves.
