Jambu zoo project vital for Jammu and Kashmir: Advisor Kumar

Terming the ongoing Jambu Zoo project "vital" for Jammu and Kashmir, advisor K Vijay Kumar has called for consulting wildlife experts and adopting various methods to develop the zoo on modern lines and make it one of the best in the country.

Kumar, the advisor to Governor Satya Pal Malik, visited the Jambu Zoo in Khanpur here on Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Saturday. He inspected the ongoing construction of the Rs 120 crore project being developed by the state forest department, an official spokesman said Sunday.

The foundation stone of the project covering an area of 229.50 hectares was laid in September 2016 in a bid to make it a major attraction for animal lovers and tourists.

The advisor was given a brief about the project and the status of works taken up at the zoo. He was also apprised of other activities being carried out by the department, including the fencing work, construction of water reservoirs and plantation of trees, the spokesman said.

Kumar later took a tour of the zoo area and inspected the enclosures constructed for keeping leopards and porcupines.

He was informed that these enclosures were being constructed as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the spokesman said.

The state advisor was also informed that the animals presently kept at Manda Zoo here would be shifted to the Jambu zoo along with other animals from other parts of the state as well as the country after the completion of the project.

The spokesman said the zoo will also house animals like sambar deer, spotted deer, blue bull, black buck, barking deer, hog deer, goat, fishing cat, sloth bear, wild boar and crocodile.

"The Jambu Zoo will have nature simulated vast and open enclosures for animals, a reptile house to display wild variety of snakes and lizards, a nocturnal animal house, large