Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday visited the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Patna, commonly known as Patna zoo, where he reviewed facilities for animal care and environmental conservation, interacted with visitors and named a newly born zebra foal, highlighting renewed focus on wildlife management in the state.
As he walked through the zoo, visitors greeted the chief minister, who acknowledged them with a wave and enquired about their well-being. CM Nitish spent time observing wild animals and birds, seeking updates on their health, daily care and conservation practices. He directed zoo authorities to ensure proper maintenance of animal enclosures and medical facilities, and expressed satisfaction over large-scale tree plantation across the park.
The chief minister stressed the need to improve amenities for children and visitors, and said more school students should be encouraged to visit the zoo to develop awareness about wildlife and environmental protection. He also instructed officials to restart the toy train service at the earliest and to expedite work under the park’s master development plan, noting that several new facilities had been added during his earlier visits.
During the tour, CM Nitish named a newborn zebra foal “Samriddhi” (prosperity). The birth is being seen as significant, as it comes nearly 17 years after the last such event at the zoo, and officials attributed it to improved health management of animals under state government initiatives.
Spread over 153 acres along Nehru Path, the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park is among the country’s prominent zoological and conservation centres. It attracts more than 2.3 million visitors annually, a large number of them schoolchildren. The zoo houses over 1,100 animals from more than 93 species, including rhinoceroses, gharials, giraffes, zebras, tigers and deer. More than 80% of its area is covered by trees and vegetation, and the complex also includes a botanical garden, aquarium, boating facilities and an auditorium.
Recent upgrades include a dedicated pathway for morning walkers and improved facilities for the care of newborn animals such as rhinoceroses, gharials and giraffes. The state cabinet has also approved the formation of a society to strengthen the zoo’s management and governance.
Senior officials accompanying the chief minister included principal secretary Deepak Kumar, additional chief secretary for environment, forest and climate change Anand Kishore, district magistrate Thyagarajan S M, and the director of the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Hemant Patil.
