Collector, officials inspect Amirthi Zoo in Vellore

Collector P.S. Leela Alex inspected the Amirthi Zoological Park, located on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation, on Thursday, as part of efforts to improve basic amenities at the zoo.

Accompanied by District Forest Officer (DFO) T.K. Ashok Kumar and S. Palani, Tasilder (Vellore taluk), Ms. Alex inspected various basic facilities at the zoo, including seating arrangements, interpretation centre, washrooms and canteen. “We have requested additional washrooms and drinking water facilities due to the steady rise in visitor footfalls, especially during holidays and festival seasons,” M. Murugan, Forest Range Officer, Amirthi zoo, said.

Officials said that the zoo has been classified as a mini-zoo since its inception in 1967. Grading of zoos is done in terms of total area, total number of enclosures and annual revenue generation.

Currently, the zoo is spread across 25 hectares of land at the foothills of Jawadhu Hills and has 17 enclosures, mostly reptiles and peacocks. The zoo remains open between 8.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all days except on Tuesdays.

During the inspection, Collector Ms. Alex also advised zoo officials to make efforts to acquire additional forest land to increase the total zoo area, as it could enable the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to give a nod to have more wild species, including carnivores for educational purposes.

At present, Amirthi Zoo includes Thellai and Puthur Reserve Forests in Jawadhu Hills. It also has waterfalls, birds, snakes, porcupines, crocodiles, white peacocks and star tortoises. Among them, spotted deer formed the majority of species in the zoo as their numbers grew to 150. A spacious lawn, children park and an interpretation centre are other attractions.

On an average, the zoo registers a footfall of 350-400 visitors every day. Three years ago, VOC Park Zoo in Coimbatore gave mugger crocodiles, star tortoises, and rat snakes to Amirthi Zoo after the Coimbatore Zoo was closed. Before it, the zoo got a Sambar Deer and a few pelicans from Vandalur Zoo in 2019.

“Access to the zoo should be made much easier as the existing stretch is pot holed. Frequent bus services and adequate eateries should be available,” said G. Pooja, a visitor.