Manipur Zoological Garden set to become world class zoo

IMPHAL — The Manipur Zoological Garden (MZG) will be developed as a world class zoo as it become the highest visited place in the state, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Anurag Bajpai said on Saturday.

“Every year more than 1.20 lakh tourists visit Manipur zoo. No other place in Manipur has that many tourists in the state... We need to develop Manipur zoo as world class so that more tourists can come because the people like to see endemic animals found in Manipur,” the PCCF said.

Bajpai was speaking to reporters on sidelines of a day-long photo exhibition held as part of celebrating Wildlife Week at Nupi Lal memorial complex in Imphal.

More than 100 photographs of birds, mammals, reptiles etc were exhibited during the event.

The MZG, located at the foothill Langol hill range at Eroishemba in the outskirts of Imphal, is one the smallest in India.

But the Central Zoo Authority of India has categorised it as a medium zoo based on the diversity of birds and animals it houses. In August this year, MZG and India Turtle Conservation Programme conducted the first successful artificial incubation of Asian Giant Tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei) where 28 hatchlings hatched out from one nest.

Read more: Breakthrough in Asian Giant Tortoise conservation in Manipur

On the photo exhibition, Bajpai said that the exhibition is a kind of documentation of the natural heritage of Manipur.

The PCCF also informed that the Forest department is taking various wildlife protection initiatives in the state. For instance, a conservation-cum-breeding centre for slow loris will be coming up in Jiribam. “Construction has already started and we’re expecting to complete within one year,” he added.

Similarly, foundation stone for construction of a conservation centre at Kamjong for hoolock gibbon — a unique monkey which is found in Manipur’s Chandel/Kamjong/Tengnoupal districts, has already started.

By the end of this year, a Nongin (state bird) captive breeding centre at Shirui village in Ukhrul district and a bird sanctuary at Kharungpat in Kakching district will be coming up, he informed.

Meanwhile, a quiz and face painting competition was held at ADC Hall, Kangpokpi on the theme ‘Human–animal coexistence’ on Saturday.