Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, launched the Jambu Zoo near Nagrota in Jammu on May 29, 2023, and announced a one-month free admission for everybody.
This much-awaited addition to Jammu and Kashmir’s tourist destinations was taken up under a stalled project, and it shall attract both residents and tourists visiting the Union Territory, Sinha remarked during the inaugural event.
The zoo’s foundation stone was placed in September 2016 in Nagrota, on the outskirts of Jammu along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, with the goal of making it a significant attraction for animal lovers and tourists.
The work of the first phase of the first zoo of Jammu division, Jambu Zoo, at Nagrota in Jammu, has been completed. This section has been opened to the public.
The Jambu Zoo, billed as the largest in north India, would hold 27 prominent types of animals, including the Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic lion. The zoo will also hold black bears, sloth bears, crocodiles, leopards, deer, and several species of snakes.
One of the biggest attractions at the Jambu Zoo is Zoo Safari. It is on the lines of Jungle Safari.
The area of the zoo for safari has also been increased from 163.5 hectares to 229.5 hectares. This vast area and greenery will also boost the Eco-tourism-related initiatives of the government in the proximity of Jammu City.
Additionally, it will create employment opportunities for the local people.
The Rs 62.17 crore project of Jambu Zoo was started in the year 2016 under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). So far an amount of Rs 25 crores has been spent on the project.
According to government sources, as reported, the Wildlife Protection Department, which is overseeing the Jambu Zoo Project in Khanpur, Nagrota, would obtain tigers from Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park and crocodiles from Lucknow Zoo. In addition, Black Bucks from the Delhi Zoo will be purchased with approval from the Central Zoo Authority.
