The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Storks to get new home in zoo

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Storks to get new home in zoo

Staff Reporter

Separate enclosure being prepared spending Rs. 28 lakhs

WHAT'S UP?: A painted stork in serious conversation with its waddling friend in the zoo in Hyderabad. — A file photo

HYDERABAD: The Nehru Zoological Park, which witnessed a sharp rise in the number of visitors last year, is set to add a new enclosure on its sprawling premises.

The work on creating an exclusive enclosure for storks is to commence soon. The officials expect the facility to be complete in a year. The zoo presently has more than 25 storks and they are put in different spaces.

The works on the separate enclosure for the wading birds is taken up at a cost of Rs. 28 lakhs and adequate space for bringing them all together is being prepared. The zoo houses different storks, including painted, white and black storks. They are among the major attractions in the zoo.

Source of funds

The work for this enclosure is being taken up with funds generated through entrance gate collections.

Last year, the revenue from this source stood around Rs.3.70 crores. Apart from maintenance, the funds are used to provide better amenities for the animals and birds and developing newer facilities.

Welcome sign

The number of persons visiting the zoo has gone up considerably this year. This comes after the figure remained almost static for some years.

"Last year, nearly 14 lakh persons visited the zoo and this year, the number of visitors has already crossed 15.50 lakhs. This is about a 15 per cent rise," says K. Sekhar Reddy, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Zoo Assistant Conservator.

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