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The Bannerghatta National Park in Bengaluru will soon exhibit 10 new species of animals, including chimpanzee, hunting cheetah and jaguar, announced Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre while inaugurating the first electric bus safari in the country at the zoo Wednesday.
In the next four to five months, the zoo will receive hunting cheetahs and capuchin monkeys from a South American country as part of an exchange programme for other animals, the minister said. The next year, the zoo will get a chimpanzee, a jaguar and a puma, along with other animals, the minister added. With this, the number of species displayed at the zoo will be close to 115.
“To reduce emissions from diesel vehicles within the park, electric vehicles are being introduced for the first time in India on a pilot basis,” Khandre said, adding that tourists can see tigers, leopards, lions, and bears during the safari.
The first electric bus was launched on Wednesday. It’s a 22-seater equipped with a 100 kWh battery, capable of completing eight trips totalling 60 km on a two-hour charge. “Currently, one bus is in operation. By 2027, the entire fleet will be free of fossil fuel-powered vehicles, with the exception of tractors and similar vehicles,” Khandre said.
In May, the zoo recorded 2,58,000 visitors, marking a new high. According to officials, the leopard safari is the main attraction. To tackle the traffic congestion caused by the influx of tourists at the Bannerghatta zoo on weekends, a smart parking system will be put in place and a tender for this system will be issued soon, the minister said.
There is a proposal to construct a large aquarium near Bannerghatta National Park. A detailed project report will be prepared, and tenders will be invited soon for this project, Khandre said.
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