he Lahore Zoo has been closed for visitors since November last. One of the city’s major attractions for the public, the closure of the zoo as well as the Safari came into effect following the Punjab caretaker government’s decision to revamp and upgrade both the places.

The director of Lahore Zoo, Azeem Zafar, says the project will cost Rs 1.836 billion. The conservancy will cost Rs 694 million; machinery, tools, stores and equipment, Rs 271 million; establishment, Rs 14 million; and commodities and services, Rs 856 million.

The civil works include renovation of the bear house, giraffe house, hippo house, monkey house, reptile house, kangaroo house, rhino house, ostrich house, ungulate enclosure, lion enclosure, tiger house and the aviary.

The blocks under construction include a vet hospital, an auditorium, the hologram zoo, a food court and an amphitheatre.

The project aims to transform the zoo on Lawrence Road and the Safari on Raiwind Road to meet the international standards, besides ensuring the safety and health of the animals housed at these facilities.

Zafar says the demand for rare and exotic animal species to be placed in upgraded cages was long standing. On November 18, 2023, the caretaker chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi, laid the foundation stone for the Zoo Upgrade Project. He also announced plans to bring 100 new animals to the Lahore Zoo, and to introduce e-ticketing and set up a zoo hologram for photo ops.

The upgraded facility is expected to feature family packages, summer packages and various other offerings. The new additions include panda, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, African pigeon, black jaguar, puma and Chaltan Markhor. New species of dragons and snakes are also expected to join in, along with 142 types of marine life in the aquarium.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali, the head of the Zoology Department of the University of the Punjab and a member of the Lahore Zoo Management Committee, tells TNS that the plan to have more animals is a tad too ambitious. “The zoo should first be able to manage its older residents in keeping with the international standards,” he says.

“[Before bringing in new animals] the zoo should first manage its old residents in keeping with the international standards.” — Dr Zulfiqar Ali, head of the Zoology Department of the University of the Punjab, and a member of the Lahore Zoo Management Committee.

The Lahore Zoo was established in 1872, initially as a modest aviary. Gradually, it expanded to become one of South Asia’s largest zoos.

Its prime location makes it a favourite tourist spot. Dr Ali reveals that there is often talk of relocating the zoo outside the city, as several influential groups have eyes on its prized land, but “the zoo must remain here because this location belongs to it.

Regarded the third or fourth oldest zoo globally, after the Vienna Zoo, Austria (established in 1752, opened to the public in 1779); London Zoo, England (established in 1828, opened to the public in 1847); and Alipore’s zoological park in India (established in the early 19^th Century, opened as a zoo in 1876). “The Lahore Zoo and London Zoo are both small in terms of area, but they are rich in history,” Dr Ali adds.

Highlighting certain issues with the enclosures of the Lahore Zoo, he says, “An enclosure should not look like a cage; it should look like an animal’s home. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case with the [Lahore] zoo.”

Kiran Saleem, the deputy director of the Lahore Zoo, says the remodeling project will raise the standard of the zoo in terms of animal welfare and enclosure design. She insists that the zoo’s new look will attract the visitors, especially with its tiger and lion enclosures that will have glass tunnels for a more immersive experience.

The project, however, does not seem to include a comprehensive parking plan. Saleem says that the parking area at the Lahore Zoo’s gate on The Mall has been doubled.

The zoo has been closed for almost three months now; it is scheduled to reopen on January 31, but the zoo management isn’t willing to confirm the opening date. “Work is in progress, and not until the enclosures are ready and we have shifted the animals safely will we open the zoo to the public,” says Saleem.

Dr Ali is cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the project. He says, “If it can’t deliver on the promise, and a natural habitat isn’t provided to the animals in cages, the whole exercise will have been futile.”

He says that the plan was prepared and executed without proper consultation.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship