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| Sunday, 29 December 2002 |
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Zoo to be moved to Pinnawela by Don Asoka Wijewardena In a bid to attract and accommodate more local and foreign tourists, the Dehiwela Zoo will be shifted to Pinnawela in the future under the Zoo Expansion Programme. The concept to relocate the Zoological gardens from Colombo to Pinnawela was the idea of Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Rukman Senanayake. A plan has been formulated to construct a state-of-the-art and conservation-oriented zoo on a 200 acre site which will boost the Sri Lanka's tourist industry. It is estimated that the total cost of the construction will be Rs. 1500 million (15 million US dollars). In an interview with the Sunday Observer Minister Senanayake said that the present 25-acre Zoological garden at Dehiwela was 70 years old and lacked required facilities for both visitors and animals. "Our primary objective of expanding the present zoo is to remove the cage concept and let all the animals live in natural surroundings with better conditions. In other words we want to maintain the open-zoo concept," the minister said. The Director of the Dehiwela Zoological Garden's H. A. N. T. Perera, said that the new zoo which was being constructed in Pinnawela on a site of 200 acres would be equal to any international zoological garden which would have spacious sites with modern restaurants for both local and foreign visitors. He added that one of the problems faced by animals in the Dehiwela zoo was physical and psychological barriers created due to being caged. He also said that recreational facilities such as riverside suspension bridges, more facilities for bird-watching and creating natural habitats for marsupials and reptiles will be features of the proposed new zoo. According to the Director, Zoological Gardens, the Sri Lankan government has obtained the services of International Zoo designers and expects a combination of local zoo designers to complete the task of the proposed zoo in Pinnawela at the end of next year. The government also expects to provide employment opportunities for about 1000 young men and women under the zoo expansion project. In accordance with the Wildlife Act animals must be allowed to roam here and there in their natural surroundings without any physical or mental barriers so that visitors will be able to see their activities in natural form. |
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