Leopard Safari Park to be completed within January next year

Kolkata: The construction of Leopard Safari Park is expected to be completed within January next year which will see a rise in tourist influx from across the state.

According to sources at the tourism department, the Bengal Safari introduced by the present government has already become popular and also attracted around 1.3 crore visitors in the last year. The officials of the department believe that the number may reach to 2 crore by the end of this year after the Leopard Safari comes up in Jalpaiguri. Apart from royal Bengal tigers, elephants, deer and various species of birds are available at the Safari Park. It may be mentioned that tiger Safari Park had already been inaugurated by the Chief Minister in Siliguri. The Forest department has been closely working with the Tourism department to develop the leopard park. State Forest minister Binay Krishna Burman said the leopard park would soon be constructed on a 20-hectare land of the state forest department near the existing Tiger Safari Park. Tiger Safari has become a popular destination for the North Bengal bound tourists.

According to a forest department official, Leopard Safari park will maintain international standards. It has been learnt that Rs 10 crore would be spent for the project in the initial phase. A senior forest department official said leopards that often enter residential localities would be rehabilitated in the proposed Leopard Safari. Several initiatives have been taken to give a new look to the Eco Park at Kunjonagar and the tiger rehabilitation centre at Khoyerbari, situated close to the Jaldapara forest.