New Year present: Three Royal Bengal tigers to roar in zoo in Ludhiana
The tiger safari near Amaltas village is all set to welcome three Royal Bengal tigers in the beginning of the New Year.
The wildlife department is busy making last-minute arrangements to shift the big cats here, which could prove to be a huge attraction for visitors.
Divisional forest officer (DFO wildlife) Khushwinder Singh Gill confirmed the development and said that the big cats will be shifted to the safari anytime between first and the second week of January.
Gill said the tiger safari at Ludhiana zoo attracts people from across the state, especially from nearby districts of Jalandhar and Nawanshahr.
“Wildlife enthusiasts from Phagwara and Phillaur also come here to see tigers from a close range,” he added.
These three tigers include two females and one male. A pair of tigers is being brought from the zoo in Bilaspur. First, the trio will be kept at Chhatbir Zoo near Chandigarh and from there, it will be brought to Ludhiana following a medical checkup.
The zoo authorities are in process of renovating all ten cages to welcome the three guests. After the medical checkup, these three tigers will be sent to Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Gadvasu) here for monthly tests.
Currently, there is only one tiger in the safari, who is already 18-years old. Despite his advanced age, he appears to perfectly fit, say the zoo authorities.
The number of visitors at the zoo had witnessed a decline after four tigers, including three female tigers, had died due to old age.
About Tiger Safari
The foundation stone of the safari was laid on September 23, 1988 by the then Punjab additional chief secretary, MS Gill.
Spread across 25 acres near Jalandhar bypass on National Highway (NH-1, also called NH-44), the safari was thrown open for public in 1992.
Since then, it has been drawing visitors, especially on weekends.
Recently, the department had launched an animal adoption scheme under which any resident could adopt an animal or bird kept in the zoo by paying an annual caretaking fee. The scheme also offers tax benefits.