Sambalpur: In a bid to create awareness about wildlife and increase footfall in the district, the state forest department has renamed the zoo at Motijharan here as ‘Sambalpur Zoo and Rescue Centre’.
Spanning 13 hectares, the zoo was established in 1980 at the heart of this town.
A year ago, Hirakud Wildlife Division set up a botanical garden spreading over four hectares with more than 6,000 plant species on the premises of the zoo, which was earlier known as Deer Park & Wild Animal Conservation Centre.
Now the facility has 27 enclosures with 333 animals belonging to 15 species. It includes five species in Schedule 1: leopard, sloth bear, chousingha, python, and peacock.
The zoo also has 123 deer, 41 sambars and four sloth bears.
The zoo acts as a centre for awareness and education on wildlife for the Sambalpur residents.
In the last one year, the zoo authorities have created better visitor amenities like more toilets, drinking water, a cafeteria, exclusive parking, a children’s park, and a complete renovation of drainage and enclosures. Every Saturday, storytelling sessions by eminent speakers on wildlife and conservation are also held by the authorities.
PNN