Construction underway for 4 enclosures at Rs 88 lakh

Kolkata: The Alipore Zoo authorities are constructing four new enclosures for animals under a total budget of Rs 88 lakh.

The tender to build the new enclosures was given out recently. It takes at least three to four months for them to be built depending on the labour and material supplies.

These enclosures are being constructed for Hoolock Gibbon, Macaw, Jackal and Wolf. Usually these new enclosures are built in case of an increase in population or the former enclosure space becoming insufficient for the animals.

For Hoolock Gibbon, the enclosure is being constructed for Rs 18 lakhs, for Macaw at Rs 22 lakhs, for Jackals and Wolf at Rs 24 lakhs each.

From the left side of the zoo's entrance, an enclosure is being constructed for Hoolock Gibbon. "It will be ready in another month and we will be releasing the animals. Two of them will be kept there," director of the zoo Asis Kumar Samanta said.

Another enclosure is for Macaws which have increased in number and thus are being shifted to a new enclosure. At present there are 30 Macaws in the zoo—some from hatching and some were seized. Another two new enclosures are coming in the extreme north of the zoo for Jackal and Wolf. It will be completed in the time period of another 1.5 months. They are being shifted to newer ones as old enclosures are small.