Ahemdabad: Reliance Industries Ltd is claiming to build the largest zoo in the world in Gujarat's Jamnagar. The information was confirmed by a top company executive on Saturday. The zoo will have around 100 different species of animals, birds and reptiles from India and across the world.
The project is a pet project of Anant Ambani, the son of Mukesh Ambani. The zoo is to be built on about 280 acres of land, which is close to the company's refinery project at Moti Khavdi near Jamnagar. The refinery project is also the world's largest oil refining complex.
The zoo is likely to open for the public in the next two years if the project is not further delayed. The zoo will be called the 'Greens Zoological, Rescue & Rehabilitation Kingdom.' The approvals have already been obtained from the concerned authorities.
The zoo will have a different section inside it, like 'Wild Trail of Gujarat', 'Forest of India', 'Frog House', 'Insect Life', 'Dragon's Land', 'Exotic Island' and 'Aquatic Kingdom.'
The various species, which will be the main attraction in the zoo are sloth bears, fishing cats, slender loris, Indian wolves, komodo dragons, barking deers, and rosy pelicans. The zoo will also house six each of crowned cranes, jaguars and African lions, besides 12 ostriches, 20 giraffes, 18 meerkats, 10 spectacled caiman, seven cheetahs, African elephants and nine Great Indian Bustards. The frog house will have about 200 amphibians while the aquatic kingdom will house around 350 fishes.
The additional director-general of forests (wildlife), ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Soumitra Dasgupta said that the concept of private zoo is not very new in India. One of the oldest zoos in the country is — The Zoological Garden, Kolkata.