his Eid-ul Fitr was a bit different, as the people of Lahore missed a major recreational activity — ie going to the zoo.

The Lahore Zoo has been closed to the public due to the upgrade work that’s been going on since November last. The common people, especially the children, were deprived of the fun they used to have at the city’s most popular holiday spot. The zoo authorities say it could take another few weeks before the work is finished.

Director General of Wildlife, Mudassar Riaz, promises that once the place is ready, the people will get to see “an efficient and innovative zoo.” The new features being added include a holographic zoo and a variety of animals. Besides, plans are afoot to build a fish aquarium.

However, Safari, Jallo Park, which was also shut for renovation, was open during the Eid holidays, and saw a great influx of visitors. According to Riaz, special arrangements had been made for the public safety and security.

It is pertinent to note that the Lahore Zoo and Safari were closed in November for three months. Work on the upgrade of infrastructure and facilities for both the visitors and animals was started after the then caretaker chief minister showed keen interest in the uplift of Lahore Zoo and the Safari Park. On the directions of Mohsin Naqvi, civil works were started with great fanfare. The project failed to meet the original deadline (January 31), prompting most wildlife enthusiasts to criticise the way in which it had been rushed. Given the nature of the task, it should have been allowed to take its time, they said.

Reportedly, the upgrade work is being carried out with a budget of Rs 5 billion. Director Lahore Zoo, Azeem Zafar, says the parking area of the zoo is being extended, and a computerised/ mobile app-based parking system is being introduced which will operate using artificial intelligence.

Zafar also speaks of the construction of glass enclosures for leopards, lions and tigers; extension of spaces for mammals such as hippo, rhino, giraffe and bear; and the redesigning of monkey houses. A veterinary hospital which is under construction is also part of the project.

Additionally, the office buildings and an auditorium are being redone. The food court is being equipped with an amphitheatre.

The animals to be inducted in the zoo include a pair of panda, a female rhino, a male hippopotamus, a trio of giraffe, a pair of African penguin, a male black jaguar, a pair of puma, a smooth coated otter, a Chiltan markhor, an addax, a gemsbok, a sable, an eland, a springbok, black mangabey monkeys, spider monkeys, lemurs, sika deer and an Arabian oryx. A greater variety of parakeets, pheasants and peafowl, turtles and tortoises, and snakes is also being added.

The Lahore Zoo has housed 1,100-odd animals and birds. After it was closed for renovation, several animals needed to be transferred to other zoos in the Punjab.

Deputy Director, Lahore Zoo, Kiran Saleem, says the safe relocation of animals and birds was the most difficult task. She says that three Bengal white tigers, two Bengal brown tigers, two peacocks, two emu, three Punjab urials and dozens of pheasants, peacocks and other birds were transferred to the Wildlife Park. Similarly, 11 nilgais, 17 Mufflin sheep, five sambar deer, 15 black deer, and 24 hog deer were relocated to the Changa Manga Wildlife Park.

Seven African tigers, three African white lions, one wolf, one hyena and one leopard were shifted to the Bahawalpur Zoo; an African lion was sent to the Dera Ghazi Khan Zoo; and three crocodiles, 15 hog deer and 8 pheasants were transferred to the Wildlife Breeding Centre.

Different methods were adopted for the transfer of rare animals, including sedation, in which case the slightest carelessness would have been unacceptable.

As of now, 70 percent of the scheduled work has been completed at the Lahore Zoo. This includes the parking area, a walkway and a bridge over the lake. The veterinary hospital has a few areas to be finished, such as the lion’s enclosure, bear’s cage and the reptile house.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz recently inaugurated the Lion Safari at the Safari Zoo. She also announced free entry to the park on Eid days.

The writer is a print and broadcast journalist