Jambu zoo developed to attract animal lovers: J-K minister

The Jambu zoo here is being developed as a major attraction for animal lovers and tourists, Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh Choudhary Lal Singh has said.
On September 10 last year, the forest minister laid the foundation stone of Rs 120 crore project for the development of the zoo at Khanpur on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
"Jambu zoo is being developed with best of infrastructure as a major attraction for animal lovers and tourists," Singh said after inaugurating the 'National Wildlife Week' at the zoo site yesterday.
The project is set to be completed in three years and will ensure all facilities for tourists such as tourist information center, large parking facilities, cafeterias and restrooms at regular distance besides provision of zoo safari.

The minister said Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which has 15.58 per cent of the total geographical area under protected network.
"The need is to put concerted efforts to preserve and protect the wildlife," the minister said, adding the wildlife week is celebrated with an aim to create awareness among the people for preserving nature and involving them in this initiative.

The minister said the man-animal conflict is an outcome of undue interference of humans in the natural habitat of animals thus posing great threat to the existence of both the entities.
"To minimise such conflicts, the forest department has taken initiative to go for plantation of fruits plants so that animals shall find their food within their natural habitat," Singh said.

He said the animals are important component of ecology and any threat to them will have negative consequences on human existence.
Singh said the department has undertaken mass plantation drives across the state which is one of the steps towards increasing forest wealth of the state.
"The role of each citizen bear huge importance for saving ecology," he said and appealed people to plant trees on every important occasion.