Park for Siliguri by December - Wildlife enclosures and elephant rides for tourists, says minister

The North Bengal Wild Animals Park. File picture

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Siliguri, July 6: The North Bengal Wild Animals Park will open its gates to visitors in December this year with an array of facilities.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today said that construction of the first phase of the park would be complete by this year and it would be opened with animal enclosures, a bird enclosure and facilities such as elephant rides and a jungle safari on battery operated cars.

"Work on the first phase of the proposed wild animals' park, which is in progress off NH31 near Sevoke, will finish by December. We are jointly working with the state forest department and intend to attract tourists and local people," Deb said.

According to sources in the north Bengal development department, the proposed park will be on 600 acres.

The total project cost is around Rs 255 crore. Both state departments - north Bengal development and forests - are pitching in with the funds.

"In the first phase, a sum of Rs 78 crore will be spent. A group of officials from the state forest department, the Central Zoo Authority and Deb's department will inspect the ongoing work of the park next Friday," a source said.

"We will put rhinos, bison, deer and black beer in separate enclosures. Several tourists travelling to this region use Siliguri as a transit point. We are targeting them and want to project the park as an added attraction," Deb said.

"There will be facilities like elephant rides and car safari at the park. The cars will be battery operated and will take tourists inside the forest. A separate enclosure to accommodate at least 12 pet elephants will be made. There will also be an aviary."

At the initial level, there are plans to build a parking area for 200 vehicles, counters for local handicrafts and food stalls.

Deb's department is also planning to develop two new roads through the park, one of which will connect the park with Sukna in the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary from the park, and another will link the park to Gajoldoba and other parts of the Dooars through the Saraswatipur Tea Estate.

"A tourist intending to go to Darjeeling from the park or vice-versa, can reach Sukna from the park by taking one of the routes," Deb said.

"On the other hand, tourists planning to go to the Dooars can take the route via Gajoldoba and Saraswatipur Tea Estate."

Gajoldoba, where the state is planning a mega tourism hub, is around 20km from the park.