Leopard tour at safari park

The site for the new administrative building of the Bengal forest department at Dabgram, on the outskirts of Siliguri. Picture by Passang Yolmo

TT, Siliguri: Animal lovers in north Bengal and tourists have another reason to visit Bengal Safari Park, with plans ready for the launch of a leopard safari on Bengali New Year in mid-April at the wildlife haven on Siliguri's outskirts.

The leopard tour will add to the elephant, tiger and Himalayan black bear safaris already being offered the park run by the state forest department.

"Construction of the leopard enclosure is almost complete. We hope to start the safari latest by the first day of the Bengali New Year (April 14). It has been decided that initially, there will be two leopards and in due course, more would be brought in for visitors," stateforest minister Binoy Krishna Burman said here on Wednesday.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of a function organised by his department at Dabgram, on Siliguri outskirts, where he laid the foundation stone of a new administrative building of his department

The new office building, sources said, will be built on a five-hectare plot and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) will provide funds of Rs 6.20 crores for its construction of in the first phase.

Burman said it will be a four-storey building and will have offices several senior officials of the department.

Among these include the additional principal chief conservator of forests (NB), chief conservator of forest (wildlife, NB) and conservator of forests (north-west circle).

Also, offices of divisional forest officers and departments like soil conservation will be opened at the building.

Speaking to the media, the minister also said that his department is installing more trap cameras in the core areas of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (located around 10 km form Siliguri) to have a clear idea about various species of wild animals as well as to have estimation about the population of such animals.

Earlier, around 10 cameras were installed in the sanctuary area. Photos of animals like Asiatic Wild Dog, known as "Dhole", mongoose and leopard cats have been clicked in these cameras.

"About 10 years back, pug marks of Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted in Mahananda. After spotting tigers at Neora Valley National Park, we want to find out if there are tigers Mahananda. That is another reason for putting the cameras in core areas," said the minister.