Alipurduar: Khayerbari in Jaldapara National Park, which currently houses 26 leopards across 30 enclosures, is nearing capacity. With more leopard rescues expected soon, the Forest department is pressing ahead with a master plan to transform the facility into a full-fledged zoo, safari park, and a dedicated tiger rehabilitation and conservation centre.
For months, forest officials have been grappling with the same question: Where will the leopards go when Khayerbari runs out of space? Across North Bengal—from Alipurduar to Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling—aging or injured leopards rescued from tea gardens invariably end up at Khayerbari. Many of the big cats here, including Bir, Damal, Jamuna, Madhabi, Manju, and Nawab, suffer from broken teeth, damaged claws, or failing eyesight, leaving them unfit for release back into the wild.
“If four more leopards are rescued in the next month, the facility will be completely full,” a senior forest official admitted. Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) North Bengal, Bhaskar JV, confirmed: “We are aware of the issue. Along with increasing the number of enclosures, we will take every possible step.”
Under the approved master plan, Khayerbari will expand its capacity to house up to 50 leopards. The development will include two major safari zones: a 33-square-kilometre herbivore safari where visitors can view sambars, chitals, barking deer, hog deer, blackbucks, and antelopes along a nine-kilometre route, and a 27-square-kilometre leopard safari, separated from the herbivore zone by high boundary walls for safety. To prevent intrusions by wild elephants, the entire safari area will be secured with solar-powered fencing, allowing the animals to live naturally within their designated enclosures throughout the year.
The redevelopment will also strengthen Khayerbari’s role in tiger conservation. A state-of-the-art tiger rehabilitation centre will be established, alongside specialised quarantine facilities for carnivores and herbivores, to provide advanced veterinary care. Additionally, dedicated zones for both local and migratory birds are planned, making the centre a comprehensive hub for wildlife treatment
and conservation.