Rajgir zoo safari opens for public, Nitish says one of its kind in eastern India

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inaugurated the zoo safari at Rajgir in Nalanda district and said it was one of its kind in the eastern part of the country.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inaugurated the zoo safari at Rajgir in Nalanda district and said it was one of its kind in the eastern part of the country.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar during the zoo safari at Rajgir on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

“The facility will definitely draw attention of people and will increase the flow of tourists to Rajgir,” he said.

“The place is already dotted with heritage sites and spots related to various religions like Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Hinduism and Sikhism. People feel a different kind of peace and solace here. Wildlife attractions will only make the place far more attractive for nature lovers,” he said.

“A nature Safari was developed here and opened for tourists in 2021. Now Rajgir has a zoo safari also, “ he said.

The zoo safari has been developed by the department of forest, environment and climate change at a cost of nearly ₹177 crore. It’s spread over 191.12 hectares and has five zones to accommodate over 250 herbivores and carnivores. There’s also an aviary, a butterfly park, an interpretation centre, orientation gallery and amphitheatre and a management section.

At the zoo safari, there are two tigers, eight lions, two leopards, and nearly 200 other animals.

Gopal Singh, officer on special duty at CM secretariat, said tourists would be taken inside the jungle in 26-seater closed glass buses. “To keep a watch on the entire forest area, watch towers have been developed and 33 close circuit television cameras installed,” he said.