The New Town mini zoo is expected to receive a Royal Bengal tiger by May 2027 after the state Forest Department completed the infrastructure required for a dedicated enclosure, Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said during an inspection on Friday.
The tiger may be brought from the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri, according to the preliminary plan. The Forest Department will seek the required permission from the Central Zoo Authority after the enclosure work is complete and the facility is assessed for compliance.
The minister inspected Harinalay, the mini zoo near Gate 6 of Eco Park in New Town, to review its existing facilities and the newly constructed tiger enclosure. The zoo has been developed on approximately 12.5 acres and currently houses animals including deer, giraffes and chimpanzees.
According to the report, more than 70% of the proposed enclosure has been kept open. It includes a cave-like resting area and space for the tiger to move around. Visitors will be able to view the animal from an area enclosed by glass walls and metal fencing. An electrically operated security system will be installed above the enclosure as an additional safety measure.
The Forest Department had also planned to bring a tiger to Harinalay in 2023 and 2024, but those plans were not implemented. The latest proposal will therefore depend on the Central Zoo Authority’s approval, the final assessment of the infrastructure and the availability of a suitable tiger for transfer.
The proposed addition comes as the state is also monitoring the movement of a tigress released in the Buxa Tiger Reserve. The tigress, brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of a project to restore tigers in Buxa, initially moved through the reserve before tracking data showed that it had travelled towards the Assam border. It is currently in the forests of Assam’s Raimona National Park and is reported to be healthy.
Forest officials have said that Buxa and Raimona form part of the same landscape and that tiger movement between the areas is natural. The forest minister is expected to meet officials of the Assam Forest Department, while West Bengal authorities are taking steps aimed at bringing the tigress back to Buxa. For the New Town mini zoo, the next formal milestone is the application for Central Zoo Authority permission after the enclosure assessment.
